Love: Smells Like Vanilla
by DemonFiccer
Summary: A requested story by The Pervy ANBU. Vanilla and Cream wish Chris would visit again someday. What they don't know is their wish may be coming true. Cream gets her brother back and what about Vanilla? Read to find out! Rated M for future content.
1. Chapter 1 Remembering the Past

**Demon: Hello Everyone! I know I've been out for a while now, but I have Finals to study for. Unfortunately, I won't be doing too much until January, but hopefully I can get some done before then.**

**Amy: You better, Demon! And What about MY story?**

**Demon: Relax, Amy. A Friend in Need is still kicking. I just need some time. My USB drive got lost during Thanksgiving, so I'm back to square one right now. **

**Chris: Amy, you're not even in this story. At least, that's what I heard.**

**Demon: You heard right, Chris! You're being paired up with someone else this time. **

**Amy: Who's Chris hooking up with now?**

**Demon: Vanilla.**

**Chris/Amy: What? **

**Demon: Don't be pissed at me. The Pervy ANBU made up the idea. I'm going to make it for him. **

**Chris: Why Vanilla?**

**Demon: Look, Chris. Scan your name in the M rated stories. Aside from AFIN and Chris's girls, it's nothing but Yaoi stories. Unless you want me to put you in one of those, I suggest you shut up for now.**

**Chris: Eep! Okay, I'll shut up!**

**Tails: Damn, Chris! You're a player!**

**Chris/Demon/Amy: Shut up Tails!**

**Ages: Chris (Memory): 12/ Normal time: 18**

**Cream: 14**

**Vanilla: 30**

**Love: Smells Like Vanilla**

**Chapter 1: Remembering the Past**

The sky was shining and the birds were chirping. A house was seen in a beautiful field, a dirt road connecting the house to the asphalt road about a hundred feet away. In the front yard, a young girl was frolicking in a group of flowers in the yard. She wasn't a normal girl. She was a rabbit. Her name was Cream. She was dancing in the flowers along with her blue chao, Cheese. Cream enjoyed playing with Cheese whenever she had some free time. Beside being fun and always having someone to play with, it helped Cream handle one memory that upset her still. She remembered her adopted older brother, who came to know Cream and her friends when they traveled to his world: Earth. She remembered landing in Station Square with her friends Sonic, Amy, Tails, Knuckles, as well as her mother and chao. Cream began remembering the experience and sat down, her chao used to this ritual.

Sitting in the flowers, Cream allowed her mind to travel, returning her to Station Square six years ago. She remembered how all of the others were surprised at where they were. Sonic ended up finding a boy, or rather the boy found Sonic in his pool, and the group became fast friends with him. Throughout the time they were on Earth with him, and the time he spent with them on their world, Cream developed a deep bond with the boy, who was also an only child. Cream and the boy were very close, even though nobody else noticed it. Well, nobody but one noticed it. Cream's mind continued to wander about in her memories with her friend, whom she considers an older brother.

Meanwhile, an older rabbit watched Cream through the half-open window. Feeling the gentle breeze blow by, the rabbit watched her daughter sit in the flowers. This rabbit, who was quite young, despite being a mother, was known as Vanilla. She watched Cream, knowing full well what she was thinking about. _'She's still thinking about Chris,'_ Vanilla thought to herself as she continued to enjoy the breeze. _'I wish Chris would visit someday. I know Cream's happy, but I remember that smile she wore when Chris was around.'_ Vanilla was right. Cream was usually happy, but Chris being around brought it to a whole new level. Again, only Vanilla noticed this. Cream was beaming whenever Chris was around. He always spent time playing with her whenever the team wasn't out looking for chaos emeralds or fighting Eggman. This, for some reason, brought a great deal of happiness to the young rabbit, who was awfully upset when Chris left for Earth. Since then, Cream never showed that level of happiness, even to Tails. Vanilla knew Cream liked Tails, but noticed that Cream still didn't have that same level of joy that she once had.

Sighing deeply, Vanilla prayed that one day Chris would return, if only for a visit, so she could see Cream's beaming smile again. Noticing the sky begin to darken, Vanilla poked her head out the window. "Cream, sweetie. Time to come in now." Vanilla called out to her daughter. "Okay, mom. I'll be right there!" Cream replied as she turned around and stood up. Walking back to the door, Cream prayed for the same wish as Vanilla. As Cream made it back into the house, Vanilla decided to ask Cream something. "You were thinking about Chris again, weren't you?" The young rabbit nodded, a slight frown appearing on her normally joyful face. "I just wish that I'd be able to see him again. I know I don't love him romantically, but I love him like the brother I never had." Cream muttered as she embraced her mother in a hug. "Well, let's not worry about that right now. It's almost time for dinner. Come on, Cream. Let's go make something." Vanilla led Cream into the kitchen, ready to make something to eat and trying to forget about the upset feeling both had from remembering Chris's departure from Mobius back to Earth.

**Meanwhile, back on Earth…**

Christopher Thorndyke was busy punching a few buttons on a device about the size of a cell phone. The buzzing coming from the device echoed throughout the empty room. 'Finally, I can meet up with Sonic and the others again,' Chris thought to himself as he picked up his duffel bag, which contained all of his clothes. Reaching into his pocket, Chris pulled out a shard of a gleaming green gem. "The Master Emerald," Chris muttered to himself, looking at the small fragment that was given to him by Knuckles the Echidna. Chris remembered how difficult it was for the red echidna to break off the small piece to give to Chris as a goodbye gift. Sliding the fragment into the device, Chris took one last look at the abandoned building that was once his family's home. "Finally, I can go back and have someone around to be with." Chris closed his eyes and pressed a button on the device. After a few seconds of buzzing, a strange flash enveloped Chris and his bag. A second later, the boy had disappeared in a flash of green light.

**Demon: I know it's a short chapter, but I plan to go pretty far with this story too. Hopefully, I can get Chapter 2 up by Friday. I also hope to have AFIN chapter 10 up either tomorrow or Wednesday. **

**Chris: Why was the house abandoned?**

**Demon: In good time, Chris. In good time.**

**Amy: Sorry, but I can't stay away from Demon or Chris. Even if I'm not in the story, I'm still helping out. **

**Demon: That's fine, Amy. In fact, you and the others will be in the story soon, even if you're minor characters at first. **

**Amy: Woo Hoo! **

**Demon: Anyway, Watch out for AFIN Chapter 10 and Chapter 2 of Love: Smells Like Vanilla! Please Read and Review!**

**Amy: No Flames! (Holds up her Piko-Piko hammer and a greased stake)**


	2. Chapter 2 Awakening at Angel Island

**Demon: Hello, again! Welcome back to Love: Smells Like Vanilla!**

**Chris: So, you're continuing with this idea?**

**Demon: Yes, I am!**

**Chris: Why? Don't you think you're going to get people pissed at you for pitting me with a pedo-?**

**ANBU: Vanilla is NOT a pedophile!**

**Chris: Whoa, who the hell is this?**

**Demon: Chris, meet The Pervy ANBU. He's the genius behind the pairing.**

**ANBU: She's no pedo! You're 18!**

**Chris: Fine, whatever. Better than another Sonic Yaoi with me. **

**Demon: About time you see it our way!**

**Amy: Let's get a move on!**

**ANBU: Right! (Lifts Amy's dress a little)**

**Amy: AAHH! (Whack!) What the fuck!**

**ANBU: Sorry, they don't call me The Pervy ANBU for nothing!**

**Chris: (sweat-drops) Anyway, on with the story!**

**Note: Ages of Characters**

**Sonic: 23/ Amy: 20/ Cream: 14/ Vanilla: 30/ Tails: 16/ Chris: 18/ Rouge: 25/ Knuckles: 23/ Shadow: 23**

Chapter 2: Awakening at Angel Island

_'Where am I?'_ The human thought as he opened his eyes. _'What happened to me? Oh, yeah. I teleported myself.'_ Chris stood up and took a look at his surroundings. He found himself in a small clearing, surrounded by trees in three directions. A lake and waterfall covered the last. Chris looked around and found his belongings. Picking up his duffel bag and teleporter, he remembered what happened clearly. "Well, the good news is, I'm not on Earth anymore. That much is certain. The bad news is, I don't know where exactly I am." Chris muttered as he hoisted his bag up over his shoulder and started walking. Noticing a small opening in between the trees, leading to a path through the forest, Chris decided to follow it. "I think I'm somewhere in Mobius, though. The teleporter used the power of the Master Emerald, so it should have teleported me to its locating planet." Continuing the path, Chris looked a little more around. The trees were separating a little more, and Chris saw a light near the end of the path. Seeing this, Chris began running at full speed towards it. 'I hope I get some answers there.'

********Meanwhile********

Pacing around the Master Emerald, the red echidna Knuckles watched the forest intently. Occasionally, he would look up toward the sky, in case a certain bat-girl decided to fly in. 'Rouge. Why does she always have to go for the Master Emerald?' Knuckles thought as he continued circling the green gem. 'At least she's been doing so less frequently. Still, I'm starting to get a little bored. I need some company.' Knuckles had finished thinking when the Master Emerald started glowing bright. Turning around, the echidna noticed a light emanating from the spot that he once chipped off a piece of the Emerald for his friend as a goodbye gift. Suddenly, the area instantly fills up with a new piece. 'The Master Emerald just regenerated itself! Six years passed since I broke that part off, and NOW it decides to patch itself up! What the hell…?' Knuckles was surprised to see this happen, but a sound broke him out of his thoughts. Turning back to see the source of the noise, and expecting it to be Rouge, he was completely floored to see a stranger walk up to the altar. Taking up a fighting stance, Knuckles wasn't taking chances. _'Why does he seem so familiar?'_ Knuckles thought, but kept his stance.

"What do you think you're doing here? If you're planning to take the Master Emerald, you might as well leave right now!" Knuckles threatened, as was his custom. The strange human continued walking up the stairs, ignoring the threat. "Hey, I'm warning you! Leave right now!" Knuckles repeated, making sure the stranger heard him this time. Still, he continued up, apparently oblivious to the threats against him. Knuckles was furious at this point. Nobody ever ignored the threat. Ever! Even Rouge would scoff at it. "Fine! You asked for it!" Knuckles yelled as he rushed toward the invader, fists at the ready. The boy simply picked something out of his device and held it up.

Knuckles saw the green shard and stopped in his tracks, his spike from his fist just inches from the boy's face. Knuckles stared, mesmerized at the shard. "The…the…" Knuckles stuttered, unable to finish his statement. The boy finished it. "The Master Emerald. More specifically, the shard of it you gave me. Good to see you again, Knuckles!" The boy wasn't even flinching from the fact the echidna's spike was only a few inches from his face.

"Chris, is that you?" Knuckles asked the boy, completely stunned by the realization. Chris just looked at his friend, who slowly lowered his fist, finally. "Of course it's me, Knuckles! Only I would have a shard of the Master Emerald!" Knuckles backed off his stance and relaxed. He looked up, pleased and smiling. "Haven't seen you in a long time, kid. Six years, last I remember. What brings you here?" Chris's smile dropped at the last question, turning into a frown. "Actually, I was hoping to wait until everyone was together. I know I have to explain it sooner or later, but I don't want to have to repeat it. Do you mind?"

Knuckles saw the serious, yet sad look on his friend's face. He nodded in understanding. "No problem. If you want, I can call up the others and have them all come here tonight, if you'd want that." Chris's eyes brightened up immediately. 'I can see all of my friends again!' He thought to himself. Nodding quickly, Chris took a seat on the steps. "That would be great, Knuckles. Thanks." Knuckles put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Anytime, Chris. Anytime. I'll go call the others. If you need, there's a bathroom in my house." Knuckles said, pointing to his brick house, which was about a hundred feet from the altar. "First floor, third door down the hall." Chris thanked Knuckles and walked over, carrying his duffel bag. Knuckles grabbed his cell phone out of his jeans pocket and started dialing a number. After a couple of rings, the line picked up. "Hello?" Knuckles sighed in relief.

"Tails, this is Knuckles. Got a minute?"

"Sure! What's up?"

"Alright, Tails. I need you to talk to tell Sonic, Amy, Rouge, Shadow, Cream, and Vanilla to come up to Angel Island tonight. You come, too. I'm arranging a meeting of sorts."

"Why?"

"There's something important happening. Can you just call them and get them to come over?"

"I guess so. What time?"

"About 7 tonight."

"Alright, Knuckles. See you then."

"Thanks, Tails. Bye."

"Bye."

Knuckles closed his phone and replaced it. Looking over at his house, Knuckles sighed. "Something's up. Soon, we'll know what it is."

**** 7:00 p.m. ****

Everyone was sitting in Knuckles's living room, chatting with each other. All were confused about what was going on. Chris looked into the room through the bedroom door (Knuckles told him to wait there as a surprise to the others) and saw that the guys seemed to have paired up, for the most part. Sonic and Amy were talking, looking like a couple. The same goes for Tails and Cream. They were laughing and hugging. Chris looked over and noticed that Rouge was even talking to Shadow (the fact that he was there was a miracle in itself!), who seemed to be at least tolerating her. Of course, it was hard to tell what, if any, emotion Shadow ever expressed. Vanilla and Knuckles seemed to be the only ones who were still single. Knuckles said that the Chaotix were still a group, but Vector had found a female crocodile, and left Vanilla alone, finally. Knuckles, of course, said he was alone of his own choice. Chris waited for the "meeting" to start.

Knuckles finally stood up and waved his hands in the air, getting everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone! I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you all here tonight!" He spoke, only to be interrupted by Sonic. "Yeah, so why are we here, Red?" Sonic smirked, as he always did when he called Knuckles "Red". Knuckles, oddly, was calm this time. "We're all here because I have some good news for us all!" Knuckles finished, pointing towards the door. Everyone gazed over to the door, while Chris saw Knuckles pointing to him. 'Well, here goes.' Opening the door slowly, Chris walked into the living room, looking at his old friends.

You could have heard a pin drop; it was dead silent in the room for at least a full minute.

Finally, Cream started to cry. Not sad crying, but tears of joy. "It's Chris! He's come back! He's come back!" Cream sobbed, running at the boy and grabbing him in a hug. Chris was surprised, but rubbed Cream's back to try to calm her down. "It's okay, Cream. It's okay." Chris spoke as Cream began to calm down. He looked up and saw the others' expressions. Tails was in total shock at seeing Chris again. Rouge, Sonic, and Amy all were the same as well. Knuckles wasn't surprised, of course. Shadow maintained his cool exterior, but inside, he thought, 'Good to see you again, Chris.' Vanilla was stunned for a moment, which turned into happiness. She saw Cream's face, which changed her expression. 'Her face,' she thought. 'It's that look again! That look of pure joy. It's finally back!' Chris was excited to see his friends again, but the excitement turned to panic when everyone else started bombarding him with questions.

"What are you doing here?" "How did you get here?" "How have you been?" The questions kept pouring on and on. Chris managed to get everyone to stop before sitting down. The next half hour was spent with Chris answering everyone's basic questions about him. The others were satisfied, Cream most of all. She still had yet to let go of her "older brother", and wasn't planning on doing so for a while. After all the questions settled down, Knuckles asked his again. "So, Chris. What exactly brings you here?" Again, Chris's face drooped in response to the question.

"Alright. I guess I should tell now. After all, everyone is here. So, here goes." Chris began as everyone looked at him, paying close attention to what he was about to say.

**Demon: Chapter 2 is over!**

**Cream: Finally, I get my brother back!**

**Chris: It's okay, Cream. You can let go, now. **

**Cream: No! I won't!**

**Chris: Alright. You can hold on all you want. **

**Amy: Why another damn cliffhanger!**

**ANBU: He needs suspense, Amy! Chill the fuck out!**

**Cream/Chris/Demon: -_-**

**Amy: WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?**

**ANBU: Oh, Shit! (Runs away from Amy)**

**Amy: Get back here! (Chases after ANBU with her hammer and a stake)**

**Chris: You never tell Amy to chill out. And you definitely don't tell her to chill the fuck out!**

**Demon: Well, if ANBU can handle Amy's treatment, he should be back for Ch. 3, as well as another person, hopefully. Cream, will you do the honors?**

**Cream: Please Read and Review! No flaming, please!**

**ANBU: Help me, damn it! Help me!**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	3. Chapter 3 Chris's Predicament

**Demon: Welcome back to the story!**

**Amy: Why are you doing this one again? What about A Friend in Need?**

**Demon: I decided to do this chapter first since these are shorter chapters.**

**Chris: Makes sense to me. Oh, right. How's ANBU doing?**

**Demon: Well, last I saw him, he was still trying to yank that stake out of his ass. You really need to be nicer to my friends/guests, Amy.**

**Amy: Fine, then. Where's ANBU, anyway?**

**(Cream is heard shouting and cursing)**

**ANBU: Cream, wait!**

**(Cream runs in, furious)**

**Cream: Amy, ANBU just groped my ass!**

**Amy: Damn it, ANBU! (Picks up her hammer and runs off)**

**Bliss: Run, ANBU, run!**

**Chris: Who are you?**

**Bliss: The name's BlissofanAngel, but you can call me Bliss.**

**Chris: I take it she's a friend of yours, Demon?**

**Demon: Right again. She's also a huge fan of AFIN.**

**Bliss: Finally nice to meet you! (Grabs Chris in a bear hug)**

**Amy: Well, ANBU's out for a while, and… Who the hell are you!**

**Bliss: I'm Bliss. I'm a fan of your story. (Lets go of Chris)**

**Amy: Don't try to take Chris from me, or else!**

**Bliss: Relax, Amy! Chill the f-! (Chris slaps a hand over Bliss's mouth and whispers in her ear.)**

**Bliss: Never mind. **

**Demon: Anyway, here's chapter 3.**

Chapter 3: Chris's Predicament

"Alright. I guess I should tell now. After all, everyone is here. So, here goes." Chris began as everyone looked at him, paying close attention to what he was about to say. "I've been having problems lately." Chris began, looking towards the ground. "About a year ago, there was an accident. My family was sleeping one night, when a fire started. Soon, the entire house was engulfed in flames." Everyone looked at the boy, surprised at the teen's story.

"I managed to wake up early enough to call the fire department. Unfortunately, I found out that my parents and grandfather weren't able to get out. Only a few of my grandfather's machines and a fireproof safe managed to escape the fire unharmed. Sadly, I lost everything but my own life." Chris paused, catching a breath and holding back a sob. "I found out the next day why the fire started. It seemed my father had lost our fortune on some bad business deals. He couldn't handle the reality of it all. After a week, his depression got him. One night, he poured gasoline all over the house, returned to his room, and lit a match.

"He thought that it was the only way for our family to continue to be happy, even if it wasn't in our world. He wasn't thinking clearly and his depression got the best of him. We broke the fireproof safe open, and found a letter explaining it all." Chris was shaking visibly, trying his hardest not to break down. "After the fire was put out, an investigation and inspection were done. That's when they found the safe and discovered its contents." Everyone looked at Chris, shocked and upset. Cream hugged Chris even tighter than before, trying to help comfort him.

"The inspector found the house barely livable. It was decided that I, as a 17 year old, would be old enough to live alone. It was decided that the house would be left alone, but eventually it would be demolished. I lived in the house since then, just trying my best to do what I could with what I had." Chris looked up slightly, seeing the stunned and mortified faces of the others. Shadow even looked like he was about to cry. He spoke up, asking a question that even Chris was surprised to hear. "How did you live like that for almost a year?" Chris sighed and looked down again.

"There were a few jewels in the safe as well. They weren't valued at much, but it was enough for me to live on. What hurt the most was the fact that they were my father's favorite jewels. They were anniversary presents given to him by my mother. Selling them nearly sent me over the edge again. Anyway, I lived off the money from the jewels from then until now. I spent most of my time working on my teleporter. I used some of my grandfather's surviving machines as parts. I finally finished the device this morning. I used the shard of the Master Emerald Knuckles gave me to power it and send me here." Knuckles nodded, understanding now what happened earlier.

"So, when you appeared on Angel Island, the Master Emerald noticed the shard was back, so it repaired itself at that point, as the missing shard was nearby again." Knuckles said quietly. Chris heard him and nodded. "I guess. The point is, I decided to come back here and see you all again. I thought that maybe I can rebuild a new life here. I was all alone back on Earth after what happened. That year alone was Hell for me."

The others were shocked and surprised. Sonic heard his last little part and a thought occurred to him. "What about your friends? Wouldn't any of them help you out?" Sonic asked Chris, who lost his cool and began to cry.

"Friends? What friends? The instant you and the others left, most of my 'friends' abandoned me. They said that if I would make my other friends leave, they shouldn't be around me, for fear of the same happening to them! When my family lost our fortune, what few friends had left abandoned me, too. I was alone. I had nobody to ask for help." Cream looked up to her "older brother", who was crying as he explained that. She lifted her gloved hand up and wiped away Chris's tears. "Please, Chris. Please try to calm down." Chris managed to relax a little, thanks in no small part to his "little sister". Chris smiled a little at the rabbit. "Thanks, Cream. I needed that." Looking back to the others, he continued.

"I had to leave the house today, whether I wanted to or not. Today was the scheduled demolition day. Thankfully, I finished the teleporter this morning and gathered what few belongings I had. You know the rest." Chris finished his story, looking around to his old friends, having a fear in the back of his mind. _'What if they abandon me, too? Are they not going to care anymore now that I'm broke?'_ He thought, his eyes showing fear and regret. Closing his eyes, he waited for what he thought was sure to happen. _'Knuckles will probably kick me out now. The others will leave me, and I'll be alone again. I should have never said anything.' _His eyes suddenly opened when he felt a tighter grip on him. What he saw shocked him. Everyone, even Shadow, was holding him tight in a hug, seemingly showing sympathy and understanding for him.

"It's going to be okay, Chris. Trust me; you're with your real friends now." Sonic said quietly as everyone, minus Cream, let go of the scared and upset boy. "Thanks, Sonic. Thanks, everyone. At least I know I actually do have friends. Still, now I'm here on Mobius. I still need to try to build a new life." Shadow spoke up again, odd considering him being the strong and silent type. "Where will you live, Chris? Sorry to say, but Rouge and I are living together, so there isn't much room available." Sonic and Amy spoke next, basically saying the same thing. Tails explained that his house is a bad idea, as it's prone to danger and problems only Tails can handle. Knuckles explained that only members of his clan are allowed to live on Angel Island. Chris understood everyone's situations, and thought a little. "I probably should have thought about this kind of problem. Oh well, I'll just try to find some kind of abandoned building and see if I can call that home." Cream looked up at Chris, then to her mother. Vanilla noticed Cream's expression, and then smiled, nodding her head. Cream smiled and turned to look back at her "older brother".

"Chris, why don't you come live with me and my mom?" Cream asked, getting a shock out of nearly everyone in the room. The only two not shocked were Cream and Vanilla. "Are you serious, Cream?" Chris asked the rabbit girl, and then looked up to Cream's mother. Smiling, she replied, "I'm sure you could live with us. There's plenty of room available at our house. Plus, I'm sure Cream would love to have you around to play more often. What do you say?" Chris looked at Vanilla, then to Cream, then back to Vanilla. "I guess that's my best option. If you're seriously okay with it, I'll accept your offer."

Cream squealed in excitement, again tightening her grip on the teen boy. "Excellent. We'll get your bag and we can head out tonight!" Chris, despite struggling to breathe, thanked the Rabbits for their generous offer. Knuckles stood up. "Okay. I guess that puts an end to our meeting for tonight! Hope to see everyone again soon!" Everyone nodded and began for the door, excluding Knuckles, Chris, Vanilla, and Cream. Vanilla stood up and walked over to the two "siblings". Smiling, she gently pried Cream off the boy, who was sighing deeply in relief. "Thanks, Vanilla, for everything." The older rabbit smiled and helped him up. "No problem, Chris. Cream, do you think you can grab his bag?" Vanilla asked her daughter. Cream walked over and grabbed Chris's bag, turning back to Knuckles. "We'll see you again soon, Mr. Knuckles. Good night." Cream politely said to the red echidna as she walked back to her mother. Knuckles led them out of the house, smiling that he was able to see everyone again. "Good night, guys. See you later." Knuckles began to close the door, until he heard Chris call, "See ya, Knuckles! Thanks again!" Chris and the Rabbits walked away, back to Tails's plane to get back to town.

**Amy: Wow, that was pretty sad.**

**Demon: I know, I know.**

**ANBU: That story was very depressing.**

**Chris: What a thought.**

**Demon: Alright, already! It's depressing, I got it!**

**Bliss: What's with you, Demon?**

**Demon: If You think it's depressing, how do you think I feel? I had to write it!**

**(Demon walks away quietly.)**

**ANBU: I hope he's okay.**

**Amy: He'll be alright. He's Demon. He'll be better soon.**

**(Cream walks in)**

**Cream: Guys, why did Demon walk into the bedroom with a knife?**

**Amy: A what? Oh shit! (Runs off to the room)**

**Bliss: Uh, oh! Wait for me! **

**ANBU: Don't even think about it!**

**Chris: Stop, Demon!**

**(All leave, except for Cream)**

**Cream: What's this? (Picks up chapter script) Oh right, Read and Review, but no flames please!**


	4. Chapter 4 New Home, New Start

**Cream: What a terrible story. Poor Chris. (Sniffles)**

**(Demon walks in, his arm wrapped up)**

**Demon: Hey, Cream. (Sounds a little pissed)**

**Cream: Demon, why did you have to make Chris's story so sad? It's really dep…What's with your arm?**

**Demon: Ask the others! **

**(ANBU, Amy, Bliss, and Chris walk in)**

**Cream: Why's Demon's arm bandaged up?**

**Amy: Well, we went into his bedroom, considering what you asked us earlier.**

**Cream: Yeah, and?**

**Demon: These guys thought I was going to cut myself!**

**Chris: Well, why else would you go in a bedroom with a knife?**

**Demon: I was going to cut my birthday cake!**

**Amy: Why was it in your bedroom?**

**Demon: My roommate's a fucking thief! That's why.**

**Cream: So, what happened?**

**Demon: They tried to wrestle the knife out of my hand, and sent it flying. **

**Bliss: We said we're sorry.**

**Demon: Sorry doesn't cut it when you cut my fucking vein!**

**Cream: What?**

**(Demon covers his bandage with his shirt sleeve)**

**Demon: Anyway, moving on! Here's chapter 4.**

**ANBU: Seriously, Chris. You seemed upset at the end of the last chapter. What do you expect? **

**Demon: MOVING THE FUCK ALONG!**

Chapter 4: New Home, New Start

As Tails landed the X-tornado in front of Cream's house, Vanilla looked over to Cream, who was smiling brightly. _'At least Cream's happy again. Now, Cream will have her 'older brother' around all the time.' _Vanilla thought to herself as the dome opened up. "Okay, Rabbit residence. Time to go, guys." Tails spoke in his pilot's voice. Rolling her eyes, Vanilla hopped out of the plane (no pun intended- pun never intended) and helped Chris and Cream out. "Thanks for the lift, Tails. See you again soon!" Chris called out to the twin-tailed fox. "No problem. See ya!" Tails called as he lifted back into the air to head home.

The trio walked up to the house, two of them happy about the day's events. One walker, Chris, didn't seem too happy. Cream noticed this when she looked at him. "Chris, are you okay? You seem worried." The human looked over to the younger rabbit, smiling a little. "I'm okay, Cream. I'm just worried that I might cause trouble for you guys." He replied, stopping in his tracks. Vanilla put a hand on his shoulder, as if comforting him. "There's no need to worry, Chris. Cream and I thought we could use a little more company. You're no trouble at all."

Chris smiled a little, trying to lose his worry as he walked. As Vanilla unlocked the door, Chris couldn't help but wonder. _'Why would they go out of their way to help me like this? I know we're friends, but this is a little much.'_ He continued thinking as they entered the cozy house. _'Well, I guess it won't be too bad. After all, I'm with my 'little sister' again, so this should be interesting, to say the least.' _Chris looked up, finally breaking free of his thoughts, and took a look around the house.

The house didn't change much from the last time he saw it. The living room was still as it was, with the furniture organized neatly about and the few pictures hung up with care. Chris smiled at remembering his visit to the house in the past. _'It did seem a lot bigger back then. Of course, I was a good foot shorter back then.'_ Chris began wandering about, looking at the different parts of the house. Again and again, Chris would notice how little the place changed. Eventually, Chris found a room he didn't remember. "What's this? I don't recall this room." He muttered as he opened the door. What he found inside shocked him.

The walls of the room were lined with hand drawings of him. Different styles and looks coated the entire room. In the center of the room was a desk and chair. On one side of the desk, a stack of papers and a box of crayons sat, ready to be used. "Uh, wow. What is up with this?" Chris asked himself, taking a look around.

"I was lonely after you left, Chris." Chris turned around and saw Cream at the doorway. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I missed you every day. Mom allowed me to use this room as a drawing room. Every once in a while, I'd come in here and draw a new picture. After I finished it, I'd hang it up on the wall. I drew only you because I see Sonic and the others on a regular basis." Cream began to cry, leaving Chris stunned about her confession.

"I know you probably think this is odd, and I'm sure you're freaked out. But, I just wanted to remember you. You're my older brother in my eyes, so it hurt not having you around. I'm sorry if you're scared about this." Chris walked over and embraced Cream in a hug, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Cream. Sure, I'm a little shocked by the room, but I understand. It hurt not seeing my 'little sister' anymore. At least I'm back, so we have more time to play." Cream stopped crying and hugged back. After a few minutes, the two separated when they heard a voice.

"Chris! Cream! Who wants to watch a movie?" The voice came from Vanilla, who was standing in the living room, a disc in her hands. Chris heard Vanilla's question and looked at Cream. "Up for a movie?" Cream nodded almost instantly at Chris's question. "Alright, Cream. Hold on tight." Chris said, pulling the young rabbit onto his back and walking out of the room. Vanilla saw Chris carrying Cream piggy-back into the living room and smiled. "They're clearly doing better. Hopefully, this sticks." She muttered to herself, before turning back to the two teens. "Who wants to watch 'Urban Legends'? I have the first season ready." Chris perked up at the television show, clearly ready to watch. Cream seemed a little confused. "What's 'Urban Legends?'" She asked the human. Chris smiled as they all sat down. "'Urban Legends' is a television show in which three stories are told. We have to guess which stories really happened and which are just legends. It's really fun." After Chris explained it to Cream, the rabbit seemed thrilled. "It's like a game? I love games!" Chris nodded, making Cream squeal with excitement.

For the next three hours, the two rabbits and sole human watched episodes of the Biography Channel show. Some of the legends scared Cream, causing her to latch on to Chris again. However, Chris didn't seem fazed by the show or Cream's action. Vanilla took notice of Chris's calm nature around Cream. _'Chris really is a nice boy. He'll make an excellent parent one day.' _She thought as she noticed the clock. "Oh my. It's already midnight! Let's stop the show for now. We can finish it tomorrow." Chris looked over to the clock for confirmation before agreeing. Cream agreed as well, making the decision unanimous. Vanilla turned off the disc, but left it in the player for tomorrow.

Chris and Cream stood up, stretching out a little. "So, Ms. Vanilla, can you point me to the linen closet?" Chris asked, causing Vanilla to look at him in confusion. "Why do you need to find that?" She responded. Chris shrugged before speaking. "Well, I figured I'd spend the night in Cream's drawing room. I'd just need a pillow and a blanket." Vanilla shook her head in disgust. "No, no. You are not spending the night on the floor like that! You're sleeping in the guest… oh, right. The guest room isn't set up. I forgot about that." Vanilla replied, and then stopped at the realization. "Well, where are you going to spend the night? Let me think." Chris waited, still figuring the drawing room would be the best bet. He didn't have to wait long, though.

"Mom, how about Chris spend the night with me?" Vanilla and Chris both looked at Cream, surprised at her request. "What? Cream, you've got to be kidding." Chris replied, knowing full well Vanilla would deny the thought. "Actually, Chris. That's not such a bad idea." Vanilla got a look of shock from Chris as a response. Vanilla continued, "After all, Cream is lonely at night, except for Cheese. Plus, she has a queen size bed. You can both fit comfortably in there, I'm sure." Chris was totally stunned. "Hooray! Come on, Chris. Let's get ready for bed!" Cream grabbed Chris by the arm and began to drag him to her room.

"However, there are two conditions to this!" Cream stopped suddenly, turning to her mother. Vanilla had that motherly look on her face. "First off, the door stays open! No arguments." Cream smiled and nodded. _'I wasn't planning on anything like __**that**__ anyway.'_ She thought. Vanilla spoke again. "Second, Chris needs to change his clothes. His clothes are dirty." Chris nodded this time. "I have a clean set of clothes in my bag, Ms. Vanilla. I'll be sure to change." He replied, getting a nod out of her. "I'll run your clothes in the washer tomorrow morning. Good night, you two."

Vanilla walked up the stairs to her room. Cream grabbed Chris's arm again and pulled him towards her room. "The bathroom is right there. Hurry up and change. I'll get the bed ready." Cream practically demanded, which scared Chris a little. "Okay, Cream. I'll be out in a minute." Chris replied, walking into the bathroom with his bag in hand. As soon as he locked the door, he got to work. Pulling off his orange shirt, Chris tossed it into the duffel bag. Removing his jeans, he did the same. Finally, he removed his boxers and threw them into the bag. He searched in the bag for a minute before pulling out a clean gray muscle shirt, gray boxers, and a pair of gray gym shorts. "I had to wear everything but these before teleporting here. I probably should have thought ahead. Oh well." Chris quickly pulled on the clothes, making sure they were aligned correctly. Chris unlocked the door and zipped up the bag.

Walking out of the bathroom, Chris noticed a light emanating from a slightly open door. Opening the door, Chris saw Cream preparing the bed. "Hey, Cream. Where do I place this?" Chris asked, pointing to his bag. Cream looked over to the human. "Just leave it near the door. We'll worry about it later." Chris nodded, walking into the room. Again, Chris noticed that Cream's room didn't change much compared to six years ago. The only change was a bigger bed and more drawings on the walls.

Chris turned and saw Cream already lying in the bed, covered up. "Where's Cheese?" Chris asked, before getting a "Chao!" as a response. Looking over, he noticed Cheese had a bed of his own in the corner of the room. "Good night, Cheese." Cream and Chris said in unison. Chris climbed into bed, covering himself up and making sure he didn't disturb Cream. "Good night, Cream." Chris whispered. Cream turned off the light and replied, "Good night, Chris."

Soon, the two fell asleep. With the door open, a small bit of light escaped and illuminated the two on the bed. Vanilla was looking through the door, smiling. _'They're sleeping now. Cream's still got that smile, even in her sleep.'_ As she walked back up the stairs, she smiled. "Maybe I'll let Chris spend the night with Cream more often."

**Demon: Chapter 4 is now complete! **

**ANBU: Another short chapter?**

**Demon: Sorry, but at least I'm updating!**

**Bliss: True dat.**

**Amy: Short or long, chapters are chapters.**

**ANBU: So, Cream's taking charge, huh? Good. I like when the women are dominant.**

**All others: -_-**

**Demon: ANBU, wow. Just, wow.**

**ANBU: I is what I is. **

**Demon: Riiight. Anyway…**

**Cream: This chapter was much happier than the last one. **

**Demon: Can we put an end to THAT topic?**

**Chris: Sorry, Demon. **

**Amy: Yeah, sorry.**

**Demon: Ah, forget about it. Anyway, Chapter 5 should be in the works soon. Until then, good night!**

**ANBU: Read and Review!**

**Cream: No flaming please!**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	5. Chapter 5 I Believe

**Demon: Welcome back!**

**Amy: New chapter time!**

**ANBU: About time, Chris!**

**Chris: What are you talking about? I'm not writing this.**

**Demon: ANBU, I told you to call me Demon!**

**Amy: Why?**

**Demon: Look, my first name is Christopher. To make things simpler, I go by the pen name DemonFiccer, and here I'm Demon.**

**Bliss: I see. So nobody fucks up and confuses you two.**

**Demon: Exactly! So, everyone just call me Demon.**

**Cream: Okay, Mr. Demon.**

**Demon: Thanks, Cream. Anyway, I decided to involve a song with this chapter. It's not a songfic, so nobody complain about it.**

**ANBU: No problem, Demon. (Begins reaching for Cream's dress)**

**(GoodWriter teleports out of nowhere)**

**GoodWriter: Bad Pervert, Bad! (Smacks ANBU over the head and teleports away)**

**ANBU: OW! Who the hell was that?**

**Demon: Other friend, making a cameo appearance. Anyway, on to the chapter!**

Chapter 5: I Believe

Chris tossed and turned, trying to fight a nightmare from taking over his dream. From the look on his face, he was failing. Eventually, the nightmare took over, eliminating Chris's dream.

**(Dream)**

_ Chris was lying in the flowery field, next to two rabbits. On his left was Vanilla, the older rabbit. On his right, petting her Chao Cheese was the younger rabbit, Cream. The trio was looking up at the clouds, relaxing. A slight breeze was evidenced by the flowers, gently moving from the wind. _'What a beautiful day,'_ Chris thought as he continued looking. _'Just being able to relax here with Cream and Vanilla is nice.'_ Suddenly, the breeze got a lot harder, catching the attention of the trio. "What's going on?" Cream asked the human, obviously worried. "I don't know, Cream. Watch out!" Chris yelled, jumping on top of Cream to protect her from their mailbox, which was sent flying from the wind. Unfortunately, the mailbox hit Chris in the back instead. Trying not to swear from the pain, the wounded human saw something that worried him. _

**(Nightmare takes over from here completely)**

_ The sky was blackening, the clouds replaced with dark shapes. The wind was picking up even more, terrifying the trio. "Cream, Chris! We need to get back into the house! It's too dangerous here!" Vanilla yelled, hoping the others would hear her over the wind. The two heard, running with Vanilla back to the house. The winds were blowing against them, making it difficult to reach the house. After what seemed like hours, the rabbits and human made it to the house. As Vanilla opened the door and let Cream inside, Chris heard a sound. "What was that?" Chris said, unheard by the parent rabbit. He heard a voice. It was familiar, but Chris couldn't point it out. _'That's not Vanilla's voice, or Cream's. Whose voice is that?'_ Chris thought, hearing the sound again. "Anymore… Anymore…" _

_ Without thinking, Chris began running, hoping to find the source of the voice. Despite Vanilla's heard protests, Chris continued. As he ran, he noticed a strange looking mark on the ground running from the house. Not bothering to examine it further, he followed the stained grass. He had a gut feeling he would find the source of the voice at the end of the path. Running with the wind helped him gain speed, and soon he found a clearing. As he entered the clearing, he noticed two things. One, the stained grass path led to a large circle of stained grass. Two, there was a cloaked figure standing in the center of the circle. Chris heard the familiar voice again, this time more clearly. "I can't take this… anymore." Steeling up his nerves, Chris took a defensive stance. "Who are you? Turn around!" Chris asked and demanded in his most threatening voice. The figure turned around, removing its hood. What Chris saw rocked him to the core. _

_ There, standing in the center, was Chris's father! The man's hair was slightly different, as if burned. The man's face also had a burn scar on the left side of his face. "Dad?" Chris questioned, stunned that he saw his father in the clearing. Chris's father lifted his right hand, holding something that made Chris shudder. A match, an unlit match. Chris stared at the match for a split second, before smelling something foreign. '_Wait a minute, I smelled that before!'_ Chris's mind raced as he looked at the stained path. His realization made his blood run cold. "Gasoline!" Chris stared at his father, a pleading expression on his face. Chris's father narrowed his eyes, continuing his phrase. "I can't take this… anymore." Chris realized what was about to happen, feeling his heart tear._

_ "Please, Dad. No, don't do it! Please, Dad!" Chris called, tears streaming down his face. His father lowered his head. This time, he said a different phrase. "I won't take this. Nevermore." Chris's eyes watched as his father struck the match and let go. Time seemed to slow down, each millisecond lasting an hour, as Chris's eyes followed the lit match fall the five feet to the ground. Just as the match hit the ground, Chris's body jumped out of the path, one thought flowing in his mind. _'No.'

_ The match hit the gas-stained grass, instantly igniting the grass. The flame shot forward, following the path through the clearing. Chris stared in horror as his father was once again consumed by flames. "Dad, no!" Chris cried, watching his father disappear in the circle of flame. The figure seemed to glow before slowly dissipating into nothing. As he watched his father's figure disappear, Chris had a pang in his heart. The pang came from a sudden realization. "No!" Chris yelled running back through the path he just ran, following the trail of fire away from the clearing. "No, no, no! Please, don't let it be!" Chris screamed, tears flowing through his eyes. He was hoping, no, praying that his fears wouldn't be true. Sadly for him, as he approached the field of flowers, his fears had come true. _

_ Vanilla's house was completely engulfed in flames. Chris ran towards the house, again facing the powerful winds, which seemed to not want him to reach the house. Fighting his way through the strong winds, he heard two shrill, pained screams coming from within the house. "No! God, please, not them!" Chris yelled, trying to make it to the house in time. As he neared the house, however, the heat blasted him back, leaving him unable to do anything but watch in horror as his new family was taken from him in the inferno, just as his old family was a year before. "No, no," Chris muttered, falling onto his knees at the horrible sight before him, hearing the screams finally end. "NO!" Chris slammed his fists into the ground, crushed beyond imagination at the tragedy before him. As he cried, he heard one word, an eerie epitaph for the event: "Nevermore."_

**(End Dream/Nightmare)**

Chris shot up, visibly shaken by the nightmare. He was panting heavily and had broken out in a cold sweat. _'A dream, it was only a dream.'_ He thought to himself, trying to keep himself calm. Chris clenched the sheets in his hands, hoping he could forget the horrible dream. Sadly, he failed. Sighing quietly, Chris got out of bed, taking care not to wake Cream. Chris walked over to his duffel bag, hoping he remembered a certain something. After spending a few minutes digging through the dirty clothes, Chris finally found his IPod. Chris checked the clock for the time, which read 2:21 a.m. in bright green numbers. "Oh well, I guess I'll go outside for a while." Chris muttered as he picked up his shoes.

Closing the bedroom door quietly, so as to not awaken the sleeping rabbit or Chao, Chris walked silently to the front door. Chris looked around, wondering if there was a key he could borrow. Looking on the wall and table, he finally found a spare house key hanging on a hook. Pocketing the key, Chris walked out of the house, his IPod in his hand. He locked the door back, as though it was never opened, and proceeded to walk around the yard. "I need a good place to sit for a while." Chris muttered, trying to find a good place to relax.

Soon, he settled on the branch of the tree in the back yard. Climbing up the tree, Chris noticed the branch was in front of a window, but he didn't care. Besides, the window was closed. Chris sat on the branch and placed his headphones into his ears. He turned on the music player, setting the device to shuffle, which meant the songs would randomly play. Chris sat and began to think about the nightmare as the player began the cycle. The first song to play, as if on cue, was "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. As the sad song played through, Chris continued to think about the horrible nightmare.

The music drowned out the outside world for Chris, except for the view directly in front of him. Of course, the view wasn't much, seeing as the night was a new moon and the sun wouldn't be up for another four hours. Still, Chris watched the skyline, thinking and listening to the music. As the chorus began, Chris couldn't help but begin to whisper along.

"**Cause you had a bad day, you're taking one down,**

**You sing a sad song just to turn it around.**

**You say you don't know, you tell me don't lie,**

**You work on a smile and you go for a ride.**

**You had a bad day, the camera don't lie,**

**You're coming back down and you really don't mind.**

**You had a bad day, **

**You had a bad day."**

As more of the music continued to play, Chris thought to himself. _'That nightmare has me rattled. What if, if something does happen to them? I'd never live with myself if they got hurt, or worse, because of me.' _He continued thinking, unaware of the outside world around him. He heard the song end, but his mind didn't seem to register it at first. When he heard total silence, it dawned on him that the music stopped. He sighed, knowing the next song would start in a few seconds. Sure enough, the next song rolled on.

Chris now kept his thoughts to a minimum as he listened in. He remembered that he and Cream loved listening to this song back when he was younger. Despite their youth, they would sing the song anyway. Again, Chris began whispering the chorus, this time to Bruno Mars's "Just the Way You Are".

"**When I see your face,**

**There's not a thing that I would change.**

**Cause you're amazing,**

**Just the Way you are.**

**And when you smile,**

**The whole world stops and stares for a while.**

'**Cause girl, you're amazing,**

**Just the way you are."**

Chris listened to the music, remembering how he and Cream would play for hours whenever they weren't busy with school, Eggman, or hunting for chaos emeralds. Hearing the song end, Chris felt better slightly, mainly from the good memory. He awaited the next song, sighing contently. As he heard the music begin for the next song, Chris's eyes lit up. His all time favorite song was playing. Knowing the entire song, he decided to sing along, still keeping his voice low to avoid waking anyone up. He took a deep breath, waiting for the lyrics to start.

"**I used to think that I could not go on,**

**And life was nothing but an awful song.**

**But now I know the meaning of true love, **

**I'm leaning on the everlasting arms.**

**If I can see it, then I can do it,**

**If I just believe it, there's nothing to it.**

**I believe I can fly,**

**I believe I can touch the sky.**

**I think about it every night and day,**

**Spread my wings and fly away.**

**I believe I can soar,**

**I see me running through that open door.**

**I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly,**

**I believe I can fly."**

Taking a moment, Chris took a breath. He knew the song lyrics were a good example of his situation. While he hadn't yet found true love, he had found good in his life so far, which helped him cope with the pain he'd been feeling. Chris continued the song, not noticing the window behind him opening.

"**See I was on the verge of breaking down, **

**Sometimes silence can seem so loud.**

**There are miracles in life I must achieve, **

**But first I know it starts inside of me.**

**If I can see it, then I can be it,**

**If I just believe it, there's nothing to it.**

**I believe I can fly,**

**I believe I can touch the sky.**

**I think about it every night and day,**

**Spread my wings and fly away.**

**I believe I can soar,**

**I see me running though that open door.**

**I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly,**

**I believe I can fly." **

Chris was feeling great. Singing his favorite song, all the while absorbing and comparing the message it gives to his life and situation exhilarated him. He continued singing, blissfully unaware of the rabbit now sitting next to him. Well, unaware until the next part.

"**Hey, 'cause I believe in me,**

**Oh, if I can see it, then I can do it.**

**If I just believe it, there's nothing to it."**

Chris noticed that another voice had joined in with his and the artist's. Looking over, Chris saw Vanilla sitting next to him, singing along with the boy, despite not hearing the music itself. Chris was amazed, but continued singing along. She was perfectly on key.

"**I believe I can fly,**

**I believe I can touch the sky.**

**I think about it every night and day,**

**Spread my wings and fly away.**

**I believe I can soar,**

**I see me running through that open door.**

**I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly,**

**I believe I can fly." **

The two continued singing, finishing perfectly. Vanilla still hadn't heard any of the song from Chris's music player, but still managed to keep in tune throughout.

"**If I just spread my wings,**

**(I can fly)  
>I can fly.<strong>

**(I can fly)**

**I can fly,**

**(I can fly)**

**I can fly.**

**(I can fly)**

**If I just spread my wings,**

**(I can fly)**

**I can fly.**

**(I can fly, I can fly)**

**Ooh, I can fly,**

**Hmm, fly, fly, fly"**

Chris turned off the IPod and took out his headphones. Looking over to Vanilla, Chris pocketed his music player. "Vanilla, how'd you do that?" He asked the rabbit, thinking that her ears alerted her to his music. Vanilla smiled. "Well, I heard something, which woke me up. I looked through the window and saw you." She replied, pointing towards the window. "When I opened it up, I heard you singing. I recognized the lyrics right away and decided to join in."

Chris blushed and dropped his head. "Sorry for waking you up like that." He apologized, only to get a hand on his shoulder in response. "Don't worry about it, Chris. I'm more concerned about why you're up this late at night." Chris smiled. 'Leave it to Vanilla to worry about others before her own problems. That's a good friend for you.' He thought to himself before responding. "Well, I had a nightmare and woke up. I was to shaken to fall back asleep. So, I just grabbed my IPod and walked outside for a bit." Chris lifted his head up, feeling the weight of his problem go away completely.

Vanilla removed her hand from his shoulder. She kindly listened to him, taking note of his physique. He had a medium build, but clearly did exercise. "What was the nightmare about, Chris?" She asked him sweetly, almost motherly. Chris was about to answer her, but started slipping off the branch. Thinking quickly, Vanilla grabbed Chris's arm and hopped into the window (no pun in- aw, fuck it. Believe what you want).

Inside the house, Vanilla let go of Chris's arm. _'Well toned. Clearly does some kind of weight lifting.' _She thought to herself. The two sat down on Vanilla's bed, waiting out the moment. "So, what was the nightmare about?" Vanilla repeated. This time, Chris decided to answer her. For the next twenty minutes, Chris explained the dream in graphic detail. While some of the dream disturbed and scared the older rabbit, she maintained a look of sincerity and sympathy, if only to help the boy feel better.

She wrapped her arms around Chris, who was tearing up a little by recalling the nightmare. She felt his toned body, while he felt her slim build. Both blushed a little, thankfully unseen by the other. "Thanks, Vanilla." The rabbit paid attention to the boy as he talked, both still in the embrace. "I needed that. It feels good to vent and relieve the tension." The two broke away, looking at each other in the eyes. The two smiled simultaneously, glad for each other's company. "Well, I think I should go back to bed. I'm feeling better, so I should be able to sleep." Chris replied, standing up. Vanilla followed him, agreeing.

"Right, I should go to sleep, too. Besides, who knows how Cream would react if she woke up and you weren't there." Vanilla laughed at her last statement, which Chris quickly agreed about. "Alright, then. Good night, Vanilla. And, thanks again for letting me stay here." Chris bowed and started walking back to Cream's room. Vanilla, however, had one more thing to say. "Chris, wait." Chris froze, turning around to face the rabbit.

"Chris, I would be honored if you stayed for as long as possible. In case you didn't notice, Cream's been feeling a lot better than she used to." Vanilla spoke, taking a breath. "She usually is happy, but when you were around, she seemed overjoyed. When you left, her beaming face dimmed, and she lowered her mood. While she was still very happy, with you gone, she went down a few notches. Now that you're here, she's returned to her previous emotion. I want that to stay like that for a while. Please, stay as long as you possibly can. It will do us all a world of good."

Chris thought for a moment, taking all of the information in. Then, he nodded, smiling. "I will, Vanilla. Thanks." Chris turned and walked out of the room. Vanilla lied back on her bed, thinking of the boy. _'He's such a nice boy, err… man. I forgot, he's 18. Heh.' _She chuckled to herself at her thought and correction. _'I wonder, maybe he'd be able to stay longer if he had a reason to stay. Cream would be happy, but maybe, just maybe…' _The rabbit fell asleep, her thought incomplete.

Chris walked down the stairs and made it to Cream's room. Luckily, Cream and Cheese were still sleeping. He slipped his shoes off and replaced his IPod in his bag. Crawling into the bed, Chris covered himself up. He reached over and kissed Cream on the forehead before turning over. "Good night, Cream." Chris whispered. Just before he fell asleep, he heard Cream say in her sleep, "Good night, Chris."

**Demon: Finally, done!**

**(Bliss, ANBU, and Amy were anime-style crying)**

**Bliss: How thought provoking!**

**ANBU: So emotional!**

**Amy: Worth the wait!**

**Cream: Zzz…**

**Demon: Cream fell asleep before I finished it. Can someone put her to bed?**

**ANBU: I'll do it!**

**Demon: Not like the song, ANBU!**

**Chris: I'll do it, Demon. (Chris picks up Cream and walks out of the room)**

**Demon: Alright, ownership notes! Guys, if you will.**

**ANBU: DemonFiccer does not own "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter.**

**Amy: He also does not own "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars.**

**Bliss: He does not own "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly.**

**(Chris walks in)**

**Chris: He also does not own IPod or any other Apple name brands.**

**Demon: I may have chapter 6 up soon. Maybe not. Who knows? If not, then see you in January!**

**Bliss: Read and Review!**

**ANBU: Don't forget Demon's poll for A Friend in Need!**

**Amy: No Flames, please!**

**(Cream can be heard from her room)**

**Cream: Zzz..**

**All: -_-' (sweat-dropping)**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	6. Chapter 6 A Weighty Discovery

**Demon: Welcome back!**

**Amy: Time's almost here.**

**Demon: I know, Amy. I know.**

**ANBU: What?**

**Demon: I'm taking a month off to relax during Christmas.**

**ANBU: What? Why?**

**Demon: College is hard, ANBU. Get off my back.**

**Falcon: Can we get to the next chapter?**

**Bliss: Who the fuck are you? **

**Demon: Bliss, manners. This is The Falcon 89.**

**Bliss: Another friend?**

**Falcon: That's right. **

**Cream: Hello. I'm Cream. Nice to meet you.**

**Falcon: That's nice. Thank you Cream.**

**ANBU: Anyway, let's go. I've waited long enough. **

**(ANBU reaches towards Cream. Nobody notices this)**

**Cream: AAHH!**

**Chris: What's wrong?**

**Cream: ANBU grabbed my ass again!**

**Chris: Damn it, ANBU!**

**(Chris starts running, but Falcon stops him)**

**Falcon: Allow me. (Clears throat) DAMN YOU, ANBU! **

**(ANBU runs away, Falcon chasing him with a stake)**

**Demon: Anyway… here goes.**

Chapter 6: A Weighty Discovery

Chris awoke to the feeling of fur. Opening his eyes, Chris saw Cream was hugging him. The teen smiled warmly, trying to slip out of the young rabbit's grasp. Unfortunately, this failed, and Cream woke up. "Morning, Chris." Cream yawned, stretching. "Good morning, Cream. Did you sleep well?" He replied, stretching as well. Chris looked over to the clock, hoping to see how early he woke up. His jaw would have hit the floor if possible. The green display read 10:00 a.m.

_'How the hell did I sleep that long? I'm usually up by 7, 7:30 tops!'_ Chris thought to himself, closing his mouth. Suddenly, the night before hit him like a barrel of bricks. _'Oh yeah, now I remember. I woke up around 2 and stayed up for over an hour.'_ He recalled, getting out of bed. Cream walked over to her closet, pulling out a clean dress. "Chris, can you leave the room? I need to get dressed." Cream asked the teen, who nodded and walked towards the door. Chris lifted his duffel bag up and exited the bedroom, leaving Cream and a sleeping Cheese alone. "Thank goodness Chris is back. I'm glad to be back with my brother." Cream muttered, pulling her dress over her head.

Walking down the hall, Chris started rooting around in his bag. A look of panic started to overtake his face, as he clearly was worried. "Oh no, tell me I didn't lose it!" Chris said to himself, still hoping he could find it. The panicked boy placed his bag on the table, continuing to sort through it. He pulled out his IPod, his clothes, and even his sweatbands, but he couldn't find what he was hoping for. "Damn it! I've got the charger, but I forgot…"

"Your phone?" Vanilla entered the room, carrying Chris's blue phone. I heard it beeping earlier, so I picked it out and turned off the alarm. It's close to dying, so I suggest charging it." Chris took back the phone and thanked the older rabbit. The teen plugged his phone into his charger before inserting the charger into a nearby wall outlet. "By the way, why don't you hand me your bag and I can go put your clothes washing?" Vanilla asked kindly, and Chris shook his head. "Actually, I'll go put the bag near the machine. It's kind of heavy, and I still need to take a few things out. You know, to keep them from getting thrown in the wash." Vanilla nodded, pointing Chris in the direction of the laundry room.

Once in the laundry room, Chris began sorting out the washables from the few electronics and extra items he had. Chris started the machine, dumping his entire bag of clothes into the machine. Seeing as he had only about a week's worth of clothes, one day's of them on him at the moment, the load wasn't much. After setting the cycle properly, Chris walked out, carrying his only other possessions: his teleporter, IPod, and a journal. "Where can I place my things, Vanilla?" Chris called out to the older Rabbit. "Ask Cream if you can place your things in her room, Chris." He heard the reply and sighed. 'Of course. I just hope Cream doesn't see this.' The boy thought, referring to his journal.

Chris walked back to the bedroom, seeing that it was open. "Cream? Are you in there?" Chris called into the room, hoping not to cause any trouble. "You can come in, Chris." Cream replied, causing Chris to enter the room cautiously. He turned and saw Cream, who was watching Cheese sleep. Smiling, Chris hid his journal under his shirt. "Do you mind if I place these somewhere?"

Cream turned and saw that Chris was referring to his possessions. She walked over to a corner, which had a shelf on the wall. "You can place your things here for now, if you want." She offered, which the teen happily accepted. As Chris placed the teleporter and IPod on the shelf, Cream walked out of the room to see her mother. Noticing Cheese was still asleep and Cream left, Chris took his journal out of his shirt. "Where to hide this?" Chris muttered, his eyes searching the room. Finally, he spotted a bookcase on the opposite wall. "Perfect!" He muttered, walking over to the bookcase. Scanning the case, he noticed the bottom shelf was very dusty. Clearly, Cream hadn't read any of the books there for a while. Chris slyly hid the book within the row of dusty books, making sure not to attract attention by keeping the dust on the books. With that accomplished, he walked out of the room, smiling.

The human walked back into the living room, where he saw the two Rabbits sitting on the couch, enjoying a pop-tart. Looking back, Vanilla saw Chris and tossed him one of the pop-tarts. "There you are. Did you get lost or something?" She joked, getting a giggle out of Cream. "No, I was just putting something up." Chris explained, taking a bite out of the pop-tart and sitting down. "Can we finish watching 'Urban Legends'?" Cream asked, getting a nod from Vanilla. The younger rabbit picked up the remote and clicked Play, causing the DVD to start from where it left off the night before.

The next couple of hours passed quickly, as the trio watched more episodes of the hit television show. Cream was still scared by a couple stories, and again latched on to Chris, who didn't mind. However, Cream was very good at guessing the true stories this time around, getting a perfect streak every episode. Eventually, the trio finished the first season of the show, causing Vanilla to take out the DVD. "Season two is supposed to come out next week. I'll get it then." She told the pair on the couch. Soon, Chris heard a beeping sound, indicating his phone was fully charged.

Prying Cream off, Chris walked over and retrieved his phone. He and Vanilla sat down at the same time, Chris in the middle of the two Rabbits. "So, what do you guys want to do today?" Vanilla asked the teens, who had no idea. "Well," Cream began. "I was thinking maybe…"

"_(Cause I'm in love with a stripper), She poppin', she Rollin', she Rollin'," _

Chris blushed red like a tomato at hearing the song playing. He froze for a second, having forgotten he put that as his ringtone recently.

"_She climbin' that pole and…"_ Click!

Chris finally managed to hit the Talk button, putting an end to the music, which had Vanilla and Cream blushing like crazy. The human spoke into the phone, still beet-red.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Chris. How are you?"

"Knuckles? How'd you get my number?"

"Chris, you've had this number since you were here last time!"

"Good point. So, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come to Angel Island for a little. I could use a sparring partner for a while."

"Sounds good, Knuckles. I'll be there in a half-hour."

"Alright, Chris. See you then." Knuckles hung up the phone, ending the conversation.

Chris closed his phone, finally returning to a normal color. Looking over, Chris meekly smiled at the two rabbits. "Sorry. I forgot I put that as my ringtone." He apologized sincerely, which the two rabbits accepted. "So, what did Knuckles want?" Cream asked, hoping to change the subject. Chris walked back towards the laundry room. "Knuckles wants me to train with him for a little while. He said he needs a sparring partner." Chris replied as he pulled his clothes out of the combo washing machine/dryer. Placing his clothes in his bag, Chris picked out his sweat bands.

"I didn't know you knew how to fight." Vanilla said, surprised. Chris shrugged it off. "Well, it's not really fighting. I learned a little Karate back on Earth and I usually do a little sparring here and there. I had a lot of time to practice in the last year." Vanilla watched Chris put his sweatband on his forehead and place his wristbands on his wrists. At this time, she noticed something odd. "Hey, Chris. Why are there some tan lines on your forearms?" Chris looked at his arms, seeing the two lines on each arm Vanilla was talking about.

"Actually, this is why." Chris began, opening up a pocket on his duffel bag. "In fact, I'm surprised Cream managed to lift the bag easily last night." He finished, pulling out four large bands. Each was a dark blue color and seemed sturdy. "Lift one up, and you'll see what I mean." Vanilla walked over to the table and picked up one of the bands. Almost immediately, she dropped it back on the table, making it make a thud sound. "Weights?" She asked automatically.

Chris nodded. "That's right. I started wearing weights during my Karate practice. I put one band on each arm and leg." He pointed to his legs, which also had tan lines on them. "At first, I used 5 pound weights. However, I increased the weight as time went on. Each of those bands weighs 15 pounds." Cream was stunned even more than Vanilla was. "You mean I lifted 60 pounds of weights last night?" She asked and exclaimed. Chris nodded. "Again, I'm surprised you lifted the bag easily yesterday."

The two rabbits watched as Chris slid the weights on easily. Vanilla had a thought and decided to ask, "Chris, how much do you weigh without the bands?" Chris looked over to her, puzzled. "That's a good question. I rarely took the weights off, nor do I usually weigh myself. Honestly, I don't know." Vanilla walked upstairs, returning a minute later with her bathroom scale. Placing the scale on the floor, Vanilla motioned for Chris to approach.

"Well, let's weigh you now and subtract the weight of the bands." Chris nodded and stood on the scale. After a few seconds, the digital reading said "240". Vanilla looked at Chris, completely amazed. "You weigh only 180 pounds? Wow, that means you're wearing a third of your body weight effortlessly!" Chris shrugged. "I never really focused on it. Besides, I'm supposed to be upping the weights to 20 pounds each next week. I have to adjust the bands this weekend." Cream nearly fainted at his last remark. "You're kidding, right?" The younger rabbit asked, her jaw dropping when Chris shook his head as a response. "Chris, that's nearly half your weight! How could you possibly handle that?" She asked, concerned.

Chris just shrugged. "My teacher said that it's something my body gets used to. Regardless of the weight I wear, I should handle it as long as I keep training. Honestly, I'm overdue to get those things increased. By now, I really should be wearing 100 pounds of weight. I just fell behind a little because of the 'incident'." Chris finished, cringing a little at the word 'incident'.

After a few minutes of discussing the idea of dropping some of the weight, which Chris refused left and right, the boy placed his phone in his pocket, his teleporter in his hand. "Well, I'll be back in a while, guys. Later." Chris said to the rabbits before hitting a button on his device. After a few seconds of buzzing, the device teleported Chris away in a flash of light, similar to Chaos Control. Vanilla looked over to her daughter, who was still shocked about lifting 60 pounds of weight effortlessly. "Cream, are you okay?" She asked the younger rabbit. Cream looked over to her mother, smiling. "I guess I got stronger lately, huh?"

**Angel Island**

Knuckles stood at the altar of the Master Emerald, donned in his red training uniform, which consisted of a red Adidas shirt and red Under Armor shorts. The echidna saw a flash of light and Chris appeared, beginning to walk up the altar. "About time you got here, Chris. Are you ready for our training session?" Knuckles asked, getting into a battle stance. Chris got into a defensive Karate stance, facing Knuckles. "Bring it on." The human replied as the two faced off.

**Demon: Alright! I finally got this done!**

**Amy: Is it really true this is it until January?**

**Demon: Sorry, it is.**

**Bliss and Amy: Awww.**

**Knuckles: What about the training?**

**Demon: We'll get it done next time.**

**Knuckles and Chris: Okay!**

**Cream: I can't believe I could lift that. I must be strong!**

**Amy: You said it, sister!**

**Bliss: Yeah!**

**Falcon: Nice to see that. Hopefully ANBU doesn't mess with you too much now.**

**ANBU: I don't mind. I love strong women! **

**(ANBU grabs Cream's ass again)**

**Cream: Damn it, ANBU! YAHH!**

**(Cream grabs ANBU by the arm and throws him out the open window.)**

**Cream: Damn Pervert.**

**(Demon stares for a second, horrified)**

**Demon: Cream, we're on the third floor!**

**All others: Oh Shit!**

**(Amy, Chris, Bliss, Cream, Falcon, and Knuckles run out of the room)**

**Demon: Oh, brother. Anyway, please read and review! Please don't flame us! Now, if you'll excuse me…**

**(Demon runs out of room)**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	7. Chapter 7 Training Day & Ticked Off Bat

**Demon: What's up people?**

**Amy: About time you update this!**

**Cream: Amen.**

**Demon: Sorry, but I needed a break.**

**Chris: Understood.**

**Knuckles: Good. Now can we get to the training? I'm locked in the damn stance!**

**Falcon: Where are Bliss and ANBU?**

**Bliss: Here I am! (Walks into room)**

**(ANBU enters in a wheelchair, in a full body cast, minus his head)**

**ANBU: Fuck you guys.**

**Cream: It's your own fault, pervert!**

**Demon: Relax, ANBU. You'll be back your normal perverted self soon. **

**Chris: I'm still shocked how strong I was by handling all those weights.**

**Cream: I wonder how strong he is.**

**(Far away, Vegeta is looking at his scouter in shock, Nappa seeing his shocked face.)**

**Nappa: What's wrong, Vegeta?**

**Vegeta: There's someone far, far away with a strong power level. **

**Nappa: How strong?**

**Vegeta (smashing his scouter): IT'S OVER NINE FUCKING THOUSAND!**

**(Nappa cringes) **

**(Back to the others)**

**Demon: Anyway, onward!**

Chapter 7: Training Day/ Ticked Off Bat

Knuckles and Chris stood opposite each other, both in a battle stance. Knuckles began charging the human, fists flying. With expert precision, Chris managed to dodge each attack effortlessly. Spinning on his heel, Chris managed a kick that sent Knuckles into the forest. Within a few seconds, the echidna was back and ready for more. This time, Knuckles managed a sweep kick that knocked Chris off balance. With that instant opened, the red echidna slammed Chris into a tree. "Uh oh. Are you okay, Chris?" Knuckles asked the boy, worried he was hurt. The human stood up after a few seconds, catching his breath.

"Don't worry, Knuckles. I'm good. Let's keep going." Chris stood up and dusted himself off, much to the echidna's relief. Spinning his arms slowly, Chris prepped himself again. While this was happening, a bat was flying toward the island's altar. Rouge, who was wearing her trademark suit with the heart-shaped chest plate, was gliding carefully toward her bounty. _'Knucklehead is busy, it seems. Perfect.'_ She thought to herself, lowering toward the Master Emerald.

Chris looked over to Knuckles, who was standing with his arms crossed. "Ready for round 2, Knuckles?" Chris asked jokingly, entering his stance again. Knuckles nodded and got into his previous stance. "Begin." The echidna spoke, running towards the human again. With his fists clenched and ready, Knuckles began to spin his arms. Chris managed to barely dodge the attack, at the same time launching a spin kick to the red fighter, knocking him into the tree.

The echidna turned back to look at Chris, smirking. "Alright, Chris. You asked for it. The gloves are coming off!" Knuckles called out. Despite the claim, he did not remove his gloves. Instead, he lifted his arms into his shirt and seemed to be struggling a bit. Chris just stood there, confused. Finally, Knuckles managed a large item out from under his shirt. Holding the item in one hand, Knuckles threw it to the side. Knuckles grinned as the large object hit the ground with a thud. Looking over, Chris saw it was a vest. Colored a deep gray, and looking thicker than a Kevlar vest, the human came to a quick conclusion.

"That's a training vest!" Chris called to the echidna, who nodded in response. "That's right! That vest weighs a whopping 40 pounds. I wear it every day I train. How do you like that?" Knuckles began running again, this time faster than before. Chris received an uppercut before he knew what happened. Knuckles lowered his fist and looked at the human. Recovering quickly, Chris looked to Knuckles and started smiling.

"What's so funny, Chris?" Knuckles asked, not sure of his mood change. Chris chuckled. "You're not the only one wearing weighted clothing!" Chris began removing his weighted bands from his arms and legs. Tossing them aside, they also made a thud upon landing. "60 pounds of weights in those four bands, Knuckles. Let's see the results of my training." Chris began running, getting a quick speed boost from the released weight. This time, Knuckles got sucker punched and sent flying. As he flew in an upward angle, Knuckles had no idea of what he was about to hit.

Rouge the Bat was approaching the altar, ready to swipe the Master Emerald. Unfortunately for her, fate stepped in. She flew right into the path of a certain red echidna. Knuckles crashed directly into the flying bat, sending both down towards the ground. Rouge landed first, slamming face down into the ground. Just as the bat began to pick herself up, Knuckles landed directly on top of her, sending both down into the ground a couple of inches. "What the hell was that?" Rouge muttered to herself, finally managing to move. After forcing Knuckles, who was unconscious, out of the pit, Rouge climbed out, sprawled on her back next to the hole.

Chris walked over and saw the aftermath of the punch. _'Oh, shit,'_ was the only thing he could think of. Helping Knuckles wake up, Chris began talking to the tired and injured bat. "Are you okay, Rouge?" The bat began to sit up, her arms writhing in pain. "Ow, fuck! That hurts!" Rouge cursed, apparently unaware of the human next to her. Looking around, Rouge saw Chris kneeling near a passed out Knuckles. "What happened?" She asked the boy. Chris looked over to her and sighed. "We were sparring and I hit him too hard. He flew up and slammed into you by accident." Rouge nodded, her anger fading away.

Chris looked at Rouge and thought for a moment before speaking. "You came here to take the Master Emerald, didn't you?" He asked the bat, who jumped from the accusation. Nodding, Rouge admitted it. "What do you expect? I'll always try to take it. The thrill of the hunt is always worth a shot." Noticing Knuckles was waking up, she decided to change the subject. "How's living at Vanilla's house? Did you like your first night back?" She asked him, who nodded slightly. "Yeah," he started, "it's been good so far. I felt kind of upset last night, but Vanilla helped me feel better. And, of course, Cream is happy to see me again, so that's a bonus."

Sitting up, Knuckles looked to what he hit. "Rouge! What are you doing here?" He asked the bat, who scoffed. "Take three guesses, Knucklehead!" She jokingly yelled. Knuckles looked at Rouge and sighed. "I swear, Rouge. Sometimes you can be such a pain." Smirking, he added, "I'm honestly surprised you even managed to get Shadow to date you." Rouge fumed at his comment, causing the echidna to laugh. "Really? What makes you so shocked? Or are you jealous?" She added the final bit with a smirk. Knuckles really took the bait this time. "Jealous? Please, like I'd be jealous of someone who was caught by a tramp!" Rouge's blood pressure shot up at his comment.

"What makes you think I'm a tramp?" She yelled at Knuckles, who seemed ready for a comeback. "Well, maybe the fact that you dress just like a…"

"_(Cause I'm in love with a stripper), She poppin', she rollin', she rollin',"_

Rouge and Knuckles's argument was cut short by Chris's phone going off, inadvertently finishing the echidna's statement. Chris grabbed his phone, hoping to stop the music and cool off a very pissed off Rouge.

"_She climbin' that pole and…"_ Click!

Hitting the talk button, Chris placed the phone to his ear and began speaking to the caller, hoping Rouge wouldn't kill him. "Hello."

"Chris, are you almost done sparring?" Cream was on the phone.

"Hi, Cream. I think we're about done training for today. Why?"

"Mom said we're going to the movies tonight. She wants you back soon so you can change and get ready." Chris nodded slightly, understanding the point, especially with his recent activity.

"Alright, Cream. I'll be back in about half an hour, okay?"

"Okay, Chris. Bye."

"Bye."

Chris pushed the "End" button, glad the music ended. Looking back, he saw that Knuckles was holding back a seriously pissed Rouge, who was trying to catch the boy. "I've got to go, Knuckles. I'll see you guys later." Chris called as he ran to collect his weights. "Bye, Chris!" Knuckles called. The human picked up his teleporter and set the coordinates. Pushing the button to return, Chris had a single thought. _'I really need to change my ringtone now!'_

**Demon: There we go!**

**Amy: Alright! Hopefully, you can get AFIN another chapter soon. **

**Demon: Hopefully. Oh yeah, I also got a request from a college friend of mine. **

**Chris: A Sonic story?**

**Demon: No, it's actually gonna be a one-shot crossover between Dragon Ball Z and Pokémon. It's gonna be rated M only for language, though.**

**Cream: Didn't you say no DBZ or crossovers?**

**Demon: Yes, but my friends want me to write this. It's strictly a humor. No romance or anything. **

**Bliss: Why not?**

**Falcon: When will it be up?**

**Demon: Hopefully by Friday. Cream, can you get my schedule for me?**

**Cream: Sure. (Reaches down and picks up the clipboard.)**

**ANBU (notices Cream's underwear): Ugh!**

**Demon: What's wrong?**

**ANBU: I've got a problem. **

**(Cream looks over and sees the cast cracking at ANBU's crotch)**

**Cream: ANBU!**

**ANBU: Oh, shit. You see the problem?**

**Cream: DAMN IT, ANBU!**

**(Cream grabs ANBU's chair and rolls him out the window)**

**Cream: Fucker!**

**Demon: Cream!**

**Others: Oh, Shit!**

**(all others run out, except Demon)**

**Demon: God damn it. Anyway, look out for the crossover coming up soon and I should have another AFIN or LSLV chapter up soon. Read and Review!**

**(Demon runs out of room)**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	8. Chapter 8 Dusty Discovery

**Demon: Welcome back!**

**Amy: Hell yeah! New chapter!**

**Demon: Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?**

**Amy: What the hell, man! You know I don't have parents anymore!**

**Demon: Oops, sorry.**

**Falcon: You fucked up man.**

**Cream: (Looks around) Hey, where's ANBU?**

**Demon: Well, in a way, he's right here. (Points to a box.)**

**Cream: I killed him?**

**Demon: No, Cream. Don't worry. Our favorite pervert is in the hospital.**

**Bliss: So, what's this hunk of shit?**

**Demon: It's a TV hooked up to Skype.**

**(Demon turns on the TV; ANBU is shown in a bed, in a full body cast, except his head)**

**ANBU: Yo, mothafuckas!**

**Demon: Why do you sound like the Office Pimp?**

**ANBU: This hospital's TV is set to Comedy Central. Mind of Mencia marathon, Cracka!**

**Demon: That's fucked up, man. We have to work, yet the funny injured perv gets to enjoy himself.**

**ANBU: At least YOU don't have to shit into a pan, Cracka!**

**Cream: That's your fault, ANBU!**

**Demon: Anyway, we'll let our pervy friend rest up for now. By the way, I have a new friend visiting today.**

**Falcon: Why?**

**Demon: Since ANBU's not here, I have a substitute. Come on in!**

**(Someone walks in slowly, looking around)**

**Demon: Everyone, meet Snypo58. Snypo, what's wrong?**

**Snypo58: Well, Rouge has been stalking me, well, chasing me actually.**

**ANBU: Dude, Rouge wants you? Why aren't you taking it?**

**Snypo58: Dude, shut up! **

**(Rouge flies in, smirking lustfully)**

**Rouge: There you are, big boy!**

**Snypo58: Shit! (Snypo runs off, Rouge following him)**

**Demon: Okay, hopefully Rouge doesn't trash him. **

**ANBU: Don't ride him too hard, Rouge!**

**Demon: (face palms) Ugh… anyway, on with the chapter! **

Chapter 8: Dusty Discovery

Chris returned to Vanilla's house in a flash of light. Unknown to the two rabbits inside, Chris teleported to the back field near the house. _'I think I'm far enough,'_ Chris thought to himself. _'I want to get a little more practice in first. But, before I do that…'_ Chris pulled a small bag from around his waist. "Sorry, Vanilla. My training calls for it." He muttered as he began taking some silver colored strips out of the bag. After a few minutes, Chris managed to add another 5 pounds to each of his weights, increasing their total to 80 pounds. "Heh, I wonder how Vanilla would react if she knew I had another 20 pounds in the bag. Which reminds me, I need to find a way to get more weights for these. Maybe Knuckles has some lying around." Chris replaced his bands, feeling the added weight on his limbs. Facing a tree, the human began a sparring session against the strong Oak.

While Chris was busy training, Cream and Vanilla were going about their own business. Cream, having already showered and changed, decided to sit outside on the front porch. She sat back, calmly petting Cheese and feeling the wind blow gently. Vanilla, on the other hand, was getting some dusting done. Unlike Cream, she wasn't ready yet to go, feeling that since they weren't leaving for a little while, she'd wait and get some work done first.

Gently dusting the shelves in the halls, the older rabbit noticed Cream's room was ajar. "Well, let's see if Cream's room is clean." Vanilla muttered as she entered her daughter's room. Scanning around, Vanilla managed to find a few dusty areas in the room and took care of them easily. Just as she was leaving the room, she happened upon the book case and saw the bottom row was dusty. "Oh, well. That's to be expected. These are her old fairy tales. No wonder they're all dusty." Shrugging, Vanilla began to dust the books. However, she noticed something odd. One of the books had no dust on it whatsoever. Thinking Cream may have been reading the book lately, the older rabbit picked it up.

The book was about an inch thick, the spine relatively strong. On the spine was a roman numeral, VII. The cover was a brown color with a gray outline. The rabbit noticed two letters in a black font embroidered on the book. "C.T." Vanilla said out loud. "What could that be?" Sitting down, Vanilla opened the book. What she read on the front cover made her both confused and curious. "'_The Journal of Christopher Thorndyke, Volume VII'_. Hmmm." Vanilla knew that reading the journal was probably not right, but her curiosity got to her. She flipped the page to the first entry.

_November 11, 2010_

_ A horrible tragedy has happened to me. My father, in a bout of depression, took his life as well as the life of my mother and grandfather. Their lives were taken away through fire. I managed to escape the blaze in time, but it came with a huge price. I don't know what is worse, knowing I could have died last night, or knowing I have to live now with the knowledge of being alone. The blaze took more than my family, as well as most of my physical possessions. The inferno also took away my memories. This journal is the seventh of my journals, but this empty journal was the only one of the group to survive the blaze. _

_ What makes the loss of the previous journals worse is what was lost with them. I began writing journals since I met Sonic. I knew I had wanted to remember these experiences I had with my new friend, soon friends, even when they would be gone. That's what upsets me the most, though. The fire took away all of my entries from my adventures. From Sonic and the others appearing on Earth, to my travels with them on Mobius, to meeting Cosmo and fighting the Meterex. All of my wonderful experiences were written down for the purpose of remembering forever. Now, they are nothing more than a pile of ashes._

Vanilla noticed that the pages of the otherwise mint-condition book were stained, most likely by Chris's tears. Fighting back her own, she continued on.

_ I feel that I have no purpose anymore. I just feel extremely empty now with my family gone. I just hope that my friends will support me through this. Without Sonic, Cream, and the others, I need all the support I can get from Earth._

The older rabbit was transfixed on the pages. She skimmed through the pages of the book, noting that Chris wrote an entry nearly every day for about six months. As she flipped through the pages, she froze when she noticed something odd about one of the pages, about halfway through the book.

Meanwhile…

Chris had finished up his sparring and was currently walking back to the house. He decided not to teleport, and instead walk back for a little more exercise. Not that he needed it, as proven by the Oak tree, which was now riddled with scratch marks and deep cuts to the bark. Chris brandished a few scrapes and a fairly deep cut on his cheek as well. "Well, next time I try to tackle into the tree, I'll remember not to hit the branches." The human said to himself, wiping his cut when he noticed the blood begin dripping to the ground. Chris continued his path to the house, unaware of the older rabbit currently in his history.

Vanilla was shocked to see the page. The page was stained like the previous one, but this was different. Instead of clear but darkened stains, this page had some red stains on the page. Surprisingly, none of the stains had damaged the written message. Vanilla read the page, utterly shocked by its contents.

_May 1, 2011_

_ I have been struggling through life for about six months now. The pain of losing my family and adventures still sits fresh with me, as well as the pain of knowing my friends deserted me. All of my former friends abandoned me after learning I lost the family wealth. I couldn't believe that my friends only cared about my family's riches. I feel disgusted with that. I don't want to live on, so I tried to end it. The razor blade I found went through my wrist easily enough, and the blood has fallen freely. I tried, I really tried to end it all, but even now I can see it will only fail. Despite my blood escaping and some of it landing on this page, I still breathe, bleed, and live. _

_ Damn it! Why must I continue suffering like this? I feel the blood stopping. I'm still not weakened; the blood has clotted now, thus saving the life I did not want spared. I feel like I have no control over my life now. I can't even kill myself right! Why? As I threw the razor away in shame and disgust, I saw a flash of green. Could it be, it was, the shard of the Master Emerald! I can't believe it still survived the fire. Of course, it survived a lot worse. I looked at the shard, deeply. I considered piercing my chest, and hopefully my heart, with it, but changed my mind. I don't want to stain the Master Emerald with the blood of a failure. _

_ Still, I do have one idea from this. I hope to find a way back to Mobius. Hopefully, I can make my way back and see the friends I lost. This is my last chance. I know it is. My house has been scheduled for demolition on November 27, 2011. I have only 6 months to accomplish my goal. If I fail, or my friends back on Mobius resent me, I'll make sure I end it completely then. I refuse to live in any world where my friends have left me and I have nothing. Six months, starting now._

Vanilla was sitting there, absorbing the suffering Chris. Her tears falling, she avoided ruining his book any more than it was. Vanilla took a moment to collect herself before continuing through the journal.

Chris managed to make it to the front of the house, where Cream was still sitting and relaxing. Cream took a look at her "brother" and gasped. "What happened, Chris?" Cream got up and ran over to the human, worried about his health. "Don't worry, Cream," the human started, "I'm just a little scratched up from the training. That's all." Cream looked at him and smiled, but she was still a little worried. "You should probably take a shower and get ready now. I think you should hurry, too. Mom will probably have a fit if she sees you in that condition." She mentioned, seeing Chris's cheek still bleeding. Wiping his cheek off again, Chris agreed. He quickly gathered some clothes and a towel before walking into the nearby bathroom. Unknown to him, his secrets were being read only a few yards away.

Vanilla scanned through the remainder of the entries. After that heartbreaking entry, he seemed to only write twice a week. _'The rest of his time probably went into making that teleporter.' _She thought to herself, leafing through the journal. Soon, she saw the final journal entry, written the night before.

_January 15, 2012_

_ I have to admit, I'm doing better now than I expected. Not only have I successfully made it back to Mobius, but my friends have not abandoned me like I thought they would have. Not only did they remember me, but my "sister" Cream and her mother Vanilla offered to let me stay with them. I am truly blessed to have such kind friends, that's for sure. Of course, the nightmare I had tonight didn't help settle me in, though. I really felt scared and worried at that point. I decided to try to relieve my tension by sitting outside. _

_ Unfortunately, I woke Vanilla up as a result. At first, I felt horribly ashamed for that. But, in retrospect, I'm glad I did. She helped me feel much better last night. It's amazing how kind she can be, and her motherly skills are clear. She's able to help people with any problems. I'm sure even Sonic wouldn't have been able to help me out like she did. I have a special place in my heart for her._

Vanilla smiled, knowing she really did help him the night before. She continued reading, and saw something she didn't expect.

_I'm glad that I can stay with Vanilla and Cream. Of course, Cream is a sister to me, and I'm glad that I can be around her again. Vanilla is another reason I'm glad I'm here. Not only does she support me and make me feel at ease, but I've noticed something. Tonight, when we were sitting on that branch, then on her bed, I felt this strange feeling. It was a strong feeling towards the older rabbit. While I have this sneaking suspicion about it, I don't know yet what it is for sure. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure it out soon. Still, I'm glad to be able to live with two very kind and loving people._

Vanilla closed the book, sighing. "I wonder if he feels what I think he feels. Only time will tell." The rabbit quickly put the book back where she found it and finished dusting. As soon as that was finished, she went to the bathroom attached to her room, hoping to get ready quickly.

At the same time, Chris walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a blue polo shirt and Levis jeans. His face sported a small blue band-aid, courtesy of Cream's medicine cabinet. "Cream's way too worried about some things." The human muttered, walking back to the living room. Chris picked his phone up from where he placed it earlier, the counter, and began scanning through one of the lists. _'Might as well get it taken care of now.' _He thought to himself, looking through his list of ring tones.

'Who Let the Dogs Out'… no. 'Hypnotized'… god no. 'Touch my body'… hell no! Finally, Chris decided upon, fittingly, "Dirty Little Secret" by the All-American Rejects. Satisfied that he won't be causing more blushing and angry threats, Chris walked into the living room and sat on the couch, next to a smiling Cream.

"Good to see you found the band-aids, Chris." Cream said to the human, getting a smirk as a reply. "Well, you wouldn't leave me alone until I did, right?" He accused, which Cream instantly confessed. "I'm just worried about you, 'brother'. I don't want you to be hurt. It worries me." She replied, looking sad. Chris gave Cream a reassuring hug, telling her it would be alright. After an hour of watching the news, and joking about Chris's band-aid, Vanilla finally walked into the living room in a yellow and tan sun dress. "Ready to go, guys?" Vanilla asked sweetly, getting two "yep"s as a response. The trio left the house, walking towards the movie theatre. While Chris and Cream discussed what to see, Vanilla was taking a good look at the boy she worried about. _'Hopefully, he's alright. I still wonder if I'm right.'_

**Demon: Chapter 8 is finished!**

**Bliss: What a chapter.**

**Chris: Why do you make me seem so depressed?**

**Demon: After what happened, wouldn't you be?**

**Chris: I guess so. **

**Falcon: I hope nobody gets mad at you for the Office Pimp thing earlier.**

**Demon: Look, I'm not racist, okay? I'm just referencing one of my favorite bits from Mind of Mencia. Trust me, it's funny.**

**Falcon: Whatever you say.**

**ANBU: Good news, guys! The doc said I should be back there by the next chapter!**

**Cream: Great. Just fucking great.**

**(Snypo58 runs past everyone, Rouge following behind)**

**Rouge: Come on, sexy! You know you can't resist me!**

**Snypo58: Can't this wait? Ahh!**

**Demon: Okay. Snypo58, I might bring you back again. I'll let you know later.**

**Snypo58: Okay! Help me now, please! **

**Demon: Alright. (sighs) Read and Review! (runs off)**

**ANBU: No flaming! So, Cream…**

**(Cream turns off the television and follows Demon)**

**(Back at the hospital…)**

**ANBU: What the fuck!**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	9. Chapter 9 Rematch Request

**Demon: Welcome back to Love: Smells Like…**

**(Cream runs in, furious)**

**Cream: Damn that ANBU!**

**Demon: What now?**

**Cream: That asshole wants me to kiss him for his birthday!**

**Demon: Well, we did miss it a few days ago. **

**(Amy, Chris, Rouge, Snypo, and Falcon enter)**

**Amy: I have an idea, but you guys might not like it.**

**Demon: What is it?**

**Amy: Ever heard of the "overexposure" theory?**

**(All others, minus Demon, look confused)**

**Demon: Yeah. When someone experiences something in excess, they tend to lose interest. So what?**

**Amy: I hate suggesting this, but what if Cream, Rouge, and I treat him to the theory?**

**(All others blush, except Rouge)**

**Rouge: I think it's worth a shot, unless Snypo has a problem with it. **

**Snypo: Not my choice, Rouge. Your choice.**

**Cream: Fine! Let's try it. That jackass will stop after that!**

**(ANBU walks in)**

**ANBU: What's up, fuckas? Hey!**

**(Amy, Cream, and Rouge drag him away)**

**ANBU: What's going on?**

**Rouge: Your birthday present! **

**(The girls throw ANBU in a closet and follow him inside, closing the door)**

**Demon: Wow, who would have guessed it. Dude probably didn't expect THAT after a hospital trip. Oh well.**

**Falcon: Where's Bliss?**

**Demon: She's taking a day off.**

**Snypo: Thank god for that. **

**Demon: Well, anyway, here we go!**

Chapter 9: Rematch Request

The morning sun illuminated through the window in the living room, shining on the face of a sleeping human. His eyes opening, Chris stirred awake. He shook his head slightly, trying to shake away the drowsiness. After a few seconds, Chris sat up and looked around the room. The only light in the room came from the morning sun, casting a slight golden hue over the room. Chris noticed that he was sleeping on the couch, instead of Cream's bedroom, where he guessed said rabbit was. Taking a second glance, Chris noticed a blanket was thrown haphazardly on the recliner nearby.

Chris tried his best to remember what exactly happened the night before. He remembered that the three of them had gone off to the movies, where they watched "Friday the 13th" at the theatre. He also remembered the movie theatre was known for showing older movies often, hence the movie watched. Rubbing his chin, Chris thought hard about the night before. Soon, the entire night returned to his memory.

_**Flashback**_

_**Chris, Vanilla, and Cream returned back to the house after the horror movie. Cream, having been scared out of her mind, was riding on Chris's back, who didn't seem to mind. Vanilla looked over to her daughter, concerned the movie may have been too scary for her. Nonetheless, the trio returned to the house around 10 p.m. Chris placed Cream down on the couch, while Vanilla went into the kitchen to make some cocoa. "Cocoa usually helps her out when she's upset or scared." Vanilla explained to the boy as she gave the younger rabbit the mug. Chris nodded and sat down next to Cream, wrapping her in a warm and safe embrace. **_

_** Vanilla sat in the recliner while the two teens sat on the couch. After a few moments, the older rabbit had an idea. "How about we watch some movies here? We'll watch some comedies to counteract the horror movie," she suggested to the human and young rabbit, both of whom agreed. Vanilla went to the movie case and pulled out three movies. "We'll watch these three in order, alright?" Vanilla asked to the two, who nodded in agreement. The older rabbit popped in "Jackass: The Movie" and sat back down.**_

_** After about five hours of watching the "Jackass" movies, Vanilla noticed the time on the wall clock: 3 a.m. "Oh my, it's late. I think we should go to bed, guys." Vanilla mentioned, getting a drowsy nod from Chris. However, she got no response from her daughter. Both Chris and Vanilla looked over to the young rabbit to find her sound asleep. Chris picked Cream up bridal-style and carried her into her room. He returned a few moments later, having covered his 'little sister' up in her bed and turned out the light. **_

_** "I think I'll just stay in here, Vanilla, if you don't mind." Chris drowsily suggested, to which Vanilla nodded. She stood up, leaving behind the blue blanket she was using on the recliner. Chris made a makeshift pillow out of a blanket he was using and lay down, falling asleep almost immediately.**_

_**End of Flashback**_

Chris groaned, now feeling slightly pained from sleeping on the couch. He managed to grab his phone, wanting to check the time. His blood ran cold as he noticed the phone's reading: 7:15 a.m. Muttering a curse to himself, the human placed his phone back on the table. "Great. I only got four hours of sleep. Damn." The human got up and pulled the curtains closed, cutting off the flow of the golden light. "Maybe I can get another hour or two of sleep." Chris muttered as he covered himself with the blanket. No sooner, however, had he started to shut his eyes…

"_I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)…"_

Groaning in frustration, Chris pulled his head out from under the cover and grabbed his phone. 'If this isn't an emergency, I'm going to throttle this guy.' Chris thought as he looked over the caller info. "Damn it Knuckles." Chris cursed as he hit the talk button, placing the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Chris. How are you this morning?" Knuckles greeted, sounding determined.

"I'm a little tired, to be honest. We were all up until three this morning watching movies." Chris replied, stifling a yawn.

"Well, that sounds like it was fun. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to have another sparring match this afternoon. Say about four?" The echidna asked, surprising Chris.

"What brought this on?" The human countered into the phone.

"I went easy on you yesterday, because I didn't expect you to be so tough. I want a real match. What do you say?" The echidna asked again, still determined.

"Sure, I guess. I'll be there around four. See you then, Knuckles." Chris said before hanging up the phone. "Great, another day of sparring. Just my luck. Oh well." Chris muttered before placing his phone down, covering himself again.

Chris managed to get another half hour of sleep, before being woken up in a very unceremonious way. Unceremonious as in Cream jumping over the couch and hopping on him, very excited about something. "Chris, Chris, wake up!" Cream all but shouted, causing the already shaken teen to jump off the couch and land on his ass on the floor. "What the hell was that about?" Chris practically yelled, stunning the teenage rabbit. Realizing his mistake, Chris lowered his head. "Sorry, Cream. I'm still a little tired. I didn't mean to curse you out like that." He looked up, only to be tackled by a once-again happy rabbit, who was gripping him like a vice.

"It's okay, Chris. I understand. But, can you please get up now? I want to play today!" The over-excited bunny yanked Chris up, bringing him to his feet. "Oh, Cream. Knuckles and I are having a rematch today around four. Would you like to come along and watch? Sad to say, I probably will need a nurse to help me out, and you know what to do." Chris asked the rabbit, who nodded furiously. "Of course I will, brother. Oh, look over there!" Cream called, causing the human to instantly turn to where she pointed. The instant he turned, Cream jumped on his back, causing him to topple over, the two of them laughing.

The next few hours passed quickly. Cream and Chris played many different games around the yard and field. Their last game was hide and seek, which Cream won easily due to her animal instincts and familiarity with the surroundings. After that, the two ran around the field and goofed around for a while. They even spent an hour staring at the clouds and pointing out shapes. As expected, a fat cloud was identified as Dr. Eggman, whom Chris had learned recently had died during an explosion in his original Mobius base. Chris learned from Sonic that, ironically, Egghead actually was too fat to fit in his escape hatch and was stuck when the place went boom. After a few laughs at the deceased doctor's expense, the pair returned to the house, where Vanilla was sitting in the living room.

"There you two are. Chris, Knuckles called the house earlier. He said not to forget about your sparring match today." The older rabbit mentioned to the human, who nodded and headed to Cream's room. Reaching into his duffel bag, Chris pulled out a royal purple muscle shirt and a pair of purple shorts, both of which having a Sonic logo on them. Chris quickly changed into the outfit and grabbed his weights. "Here we go. Eighty pounds put to the test." He muttered as he slipped his weights onto their usual places. Chris walked back to the hall, his teleporter in hand. Cream walked up to him, wearing a yellow dress with a tan star logo on the front, and a first aid kit in her hand. "Ready for the match, Chris?" Cream asked the human, who nodded with a smile.

"Hold on there!" Vanilla's voice stopped the two in their tracks. They looked over to the mother rabbit, who was wearing a blue and red dress. She was grinning. "You're not leaving without me. I'm watching you train today, too." Vanilla explained, walking over to the pair. "Alright, then. Here we go." Chris said as he hit a button on the teleporter. The three of them disappeared in a flash of light, heading for Angel Island.

**Demon: Okay. Chapter 9 is finally done.**

**Snypo: Yeah, finally.**

**Falcon: I wonder who will win the round this time.**

**Chris: Who knows?**

**Demon: Oh yeah, I almost forgot. (Walks to the closet and opens the door)**

**(Rouge, Amy, and Cream walk out, all looking pleased)**

**Amy: What happened in there, STAYS in there!**

**Rouge and Cream: Agreed!**

**(ANBU walks out, limping and muttering)**

**Demon: Are you alright, ANBU?**

**ANBU: That… was… totally… AWESOME! What a birthday gift!**

**Everyone else: -_-'**

**Demon: I think the overexposure idea failed.**

**Rouge, Amy, and Cream: Shit!**

**Rouge: Oh well, at least I have Snypo here. (Grabs Snypo and flings him into the closet, closing the door behind her)**

**Demon: Wow. Anyway, I don't own the copyrights to any movies or products mentioned.**

**ANBU: Read and Review, please!**

**Demon: How long do you think it'll be before he comes off that high?**

**Falcon: Twenty says by next chapter.**

**Demon: I think it'll be until chapter 11.**

**Falcon: Bet on!**

**(Everyone, minus Rouge and Snypo, walk away)**

**ANBU: Still fucking AWESOME! Heh heh…**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	10. Chapter 10 Chris V Knuckles II

**Skagui: Where's Demon?**

**Amy: He's in his room, watching something on Youtube.**

**Falcon: Dude's just pissed he lost our bet. Where's ANBU, anyway?**

**Amy: Who cares?**

**(The trio walk to Demon's room, where he's watching something on the screen)**

**Demon: Go, Hypno-disc! Kick it's ass! Yeah!**

**Falcon: What the hell are you watching?**

**Demon: Robot Wars. I loved watching it as a kid. **

**Amy: Demon, what about the story? And where's the others?**

**Demon (still focused on the screen): Don't worry. I sent the others on a little break. You guys can go too if you want to. The script's here. (hands Amy a script)**

**Amy: You mean that you finished the chapter…**

**Skagui: And the others went on break…**

**Falcon: And you didn't tell us!**

**Demon: Chill out, will ya? Look, you guys can go. Skagui, you don't complain since you were… were… weren't you a guy last time I saw you?**

**Skagui: Yeah, but I can change freely.**

**Demon: How?**

**Skaugi (flashes her watch): This watch is my own invention. I can change genders at any time with the push of a button. **

**Amy: Cool.**

**Demon: I could probably think of something funny, but that's for another time. **

**Falcon: Right, on with the chapter! And you better set us up some vacation plans.**

**Demon: Damn it.**

Chapter 10: Chris V. Knuckles II

Chris, Vanilla, and Cream arrived on Angel Island in a flash of light. Quickly gaining their bearings, the trio walked to the nearby Altar, which was home to the Master Emerald. As expected, standing on the top of the altar, was Knuckles the Echidna. Smirking, Knuckles jumped to the bottom of the altar. "Ready for round two?" The red echidna asked, spinning his arms. Chris cracked his knuckles and his neck in response. The two locked eyes, both knowing this round would be all-out.

A couple minutes later, the two were facing each other on opposite sides of a clearing. Knuckles, in preparation, made a square in the ground, marking out an impromptu "arena" for the combatants to use. Taking a battle stance, Knuckles spoke. "Here are the rules. We must battle within the arena only. If you are sent out of the arena, whether by stepping out or by a blow, then you lose a point. We start with three points. Whoever loses all three points first will lose the match. Understood?" Chris nodded in response, taking a stance. Knuckles continued, "If you are sent out of the perimeter, but do not hit any object outside of the arena edges, then you do not lose a point. However, slamming into an outside rock or tree does cause a loss. Finally, you may remove weights or whatnot, but at your own risk. The opponent will not need to wait for you."

Cream and Vanilla sat on a large rock about ten feet from the "arena", a first aid kit in the younger rabbit's grasp. _'Good luck, Chris. You'll need it.'_ Cream thought to herself as she watched the two taking their stances. Vanilla looked in wonder. _'He's well built for a young man. I'm sure he'll put up a good fight.'_ The older rabbit grinned inwardly. Knuckles called for Cream to begin the countdown. Standing up, Cream raised her hand and shouted. "3, 2, 1, Begin!"

Knuckles ran toward Chris, his fist ready for impact. The human dodged at the last second, causing Knuckles to lose his balance for a second. Using this to his advantage, Chris jumped back and removed a weight from his left arm. As the echidna recovered, Chris spoke. "I could have knocked you out of the edge, but then I'd have to wait until you got back in before I could remove the weights." Knuckles, nodding in understanding, quickly removed his new fifty pound weighted shirt. The shirt and arm band each made a loud thump as they hit the ground out of the arena lines.

Chris took the offensive this time, rushing towards Knuckles with his left hand clenched in a fist. "Falcon…" Chris shouted, causing Knuckles to become confused. "What? I don't see a falcon anywh…" Chris slammed his fist into the echidna's stomach, stopping his sentence and sending him flying. "…Punch!" the human finished.

After sliding a good ten feet away from the edge, Knuckles re-entered the ring, one point shorter. Removing his spiked gloves, which weighed ten pounds each, Knuckles put on some lightweight sparring gloves. At the same time, Chris managed to remove the other arm band. However, Knuckles was already rushing toward the human, who was sent flying out of the ring with a strong left hook. When Chris walked back in, Knuckles grinned. "Do you want to give up? We could stop right now!" Chris grinned back, replying, "What's wrong? Too afraid to continue?"

Cream and Vanilla watched the next few seconds in shock. Knuckles and Chris ran headlong into each other, both turning to the side at the last second. Each swinging a leg, both connected with the other's gut. However, Chris's leg, which still held a 20 pound band, didn't match Knuckles' hit, causing the human to fly farther away and out of the ring again. The echidna, however, managed to keep in the ring, but barely. "The score now is Chris: 1, Knuckles: 2." Cream muttered, concerned for her 'brother' now. Vanilla placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder, as if telling her it's alright. Cream looked at her mother, smiling at the wordless reassurance. A couple seconds later, however, the two were brought back to the fight by a violent shake. The two rabbits looked down to see Knuckles with his head stuck in the rock they were sitting on. Looking up, they saw Chris there, his right fist out and his face sporting a shit-eating grin.

"I think the count now is Chris: 1, Knuckles: 1." Vanilla corrected her daughter, who chuckled. The echidna pulled his head out of the rock and marched back to the ring, where Chris was positioned in a defensive stance. "You got the drop on me that time, but no more." Knuckles spat, raising his fists in the air. Chris managed to pull off the last two weight bands off his legs and was stretching. Each competitor looked at each other, determination burning in their eyes. Both charged suddenly, hoping for the edge.

Knuckles and Chris battled almost like perfect machines. Each time someone would strike, the other would block or parry. Each sucker punch was stopped. Their fists and even knees connected occasionally. Both were evenly matched, that much was certain. Both backed off, breathing hard. _'Damn, Knuckles was really going easy on me last time. This is a lot harder than I thought.'_ Chris thought to himself. Knuckles took a moment to think while catching his breath. _'Chris is really strong. I think we should do this more often.'_ The echidna thought to himself.

After finally relaxing, the two continued their battle, each hell-bent on defeating the other. Both ran towards their opponent, prepping the strongest uppercut they could manage. Rushing at each other, they took a swing. Both attacks connected, and each took a hard hit to their chin. Practically in sync, both Knuckles and Chris were sent flying from the attacks and into the air. Knuckles landed in a nearby tree, while Chris slammed directly into the bark of a tree. The official count was Chris: 0, Knuckles: 0. The match was a draw.

"Oh god!" Cream yelped, jumping off the rock and towards Chris, who was slumped over, leaning on the tree he hit. Vanilla stood up to check on Knuckles, only to see him jump, albeit slowly, to the ground below. "Well, that didn't end like I planned." The echidna sputtered, spitting a little blood out. Walking over to the human, Knuckles and Vanilla exchanged worried glances. Cream, who was already at his side, was busily checking to see if Chris was alive. Luckily, she felt a heartbeat and a pulse, and she heard his breathing. Sighing in relief, Cream opened the kit and began to prepare bandages.

Knuckles put a hand on Cream's shoulder, signaling her to stop. Looking over, she saw an expressionless face staring at her. "I think we should wait, Cream. Let's move him to the house first. That way, we can take care of him more easily." He explained. The rabbit nodded, reaching over and picking the human up gently. Vanilla helped her daughter by grabbing Chris's legs. As the two rabbits walked the unconscious human towards Knuckles's house, the echidna picked up the human's weights. 'Wow, Chris is serious about the weights. This feels like eighty pounds here! Even my training jacket doesn't weigh this much!' He thought to himself as they walked back to the house.

**Demon: That's chapter 10 for you readers.**

**Falcon: What about our vacation? (stomps his foot)**

**Demon: Fine, here. (Hands them three tickets)**

**Skagui: What's this?**

**Demon: It's a ticket for a free Mardi Gras celebration. That's where the others are, okay?**

**Amy: Sounds good to me.**

**Skagui: Sure, thanks Demon!**

**Falcon: Sweet, I love Mardi Gras. Where's it at?**

**Demon: New Orleans.**

**All three: Holy Shit! Awesome!**

**Demon: I thought so. Anyway, read and review.**

**Amy: No flaming!**

**Demon: Good, now I go back to my videos. What, NO! HYPNO- DISC! NO! DAMN YOU, CHAOS 2! DAMN YOU!**

**Amy: Really needs to get a life.**

**Demon: I heard that!**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	11. Chapter 11 Taste of Recovery

**Demon: (yawns) Welcome back to Love: Smells Like Vanilla.**

**Amy: You're not so chipper today. What's up?**

**Demon: I just feel crashed is all.**

**Falcon: Well, it's your fault.**

**Skagui: Yeah. If you didn't drink six cans of Mountain Dew in a row, maybe you wouldn't be this shitty.**

**Demon: Shut up, will you? **

**ANBU: Anyway, how's everyone been?**

**(Demon looks at ANBU, who's sporting a shit-eating-grin)**

**Demon: What's with him?  
>Cream: Take three guesses what he did at New Orleans.<strong>

**Demon: What?**

**ANBU: I got some! Yeah!**

**(Snypo slaps ANBU across the face)**

**Snypo: Can you not be a pervert for ONE chapter you're in?**

**ANBU: Sorry, contractually obligated.**

**Demon: Damn fine print.**

**Snypo: You guys seen Rouge lately? She's been upping her game.**

**Bliss: Hey, what's up guys?**

**Snypo: Hey Bliss.**

**(Demon jolts awake at hearing this)**

**Demon: Bliss, what the hell?**

**Snypo: What's wrong? **

**Demon: Bliss isn't with LSLV anymore. She's specifically with AFIN.**

**Snypo: Then, who's … (looks over)**

**(Bliss pulls off her face, revealing Rouge)**

**Rouge: Got you, big boy!**

**(Rouge grabs Snypo and flies into the next room)**

**Falcon: Uh…**

**(Demon picks up the mask Rouge took off)**

**Demon: That bat's smart, I'll give her that.**

**ANBU: Why can't I get a girl to do that for me?**

**Amy: Alright, before I try to kill this guy, enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 11: Taste of Recovery

The rabbits finally managed to carry Chris into Knuckles's house, setting him down on the table. Knuckles walked in a few seconds later, dropping the weights onto the ground. He saw the unconscious human sprawled out on his table, with the two rabbits preparing the first aid kit. "I'll be back in a minute, okay?" He said, walking down the hall and into a bathroom. Vanilla managed to open a roll of bandages, while Cream got some disinfectant cream out for his cuts. "I hope Chris is all right. That looked like it really hurt." Cream said softly, yet loud enough for Vanilla to hear. "Don't worry, Cream. He'll be okay. He's been through a lot worse than this." Vanilla told her daughter. _'I should know. I've read about it.'_ She thought to herself, remembering the journal.

Knuckles splashed some water on his face before looking in the mirror. His face sported a couple cuts and bruises, mostly from when he went head first into that rock. The echidna looked inside his medicine cabinet, searching for some medicine Chris could use. _'I know I have some around here.'_ He thought to himself as he continued to scan the bottles. "Damn it, where the hell is it?" He asked himself, getting a little peeved. Finally, the red echidna gave up, slamming his fist on the counter. "Fuck. Now, I'm going to have to make some of it." Knuckles slapped his hand on his face, dragging it down. Knuckles exited the bathroom, heading towards his book shelf.

Meanwhile, Cream and Vanilla were busily wrapping Chris in bandages. "It's a good thing nothing appears to be broken," Vanilla pointed out, "but he will probably be sore for a while. Plus, I think his ribs may be a bit bruised." She finished, cutting the bandage and tying it off. "I hope he recovers soon." Cream looked at the sleeping human, worry evident in her eyes. Vanilla wrapped Cream in a hug, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry. He'll recover soon."

The rabbits looked to the source of the statement, Knuckles. He walked in carrying a large leather-bound book. "What's that thing Knuckles?" Vanilla asked. The echidna smiled and set the book down on the table next to Chris. "This is an old medical journal my tribe wrote." He explained, looking over to the book. "We used to write our herbal medicine recipes down and use them whenever needed." The rabbits watched as Knuckles scanned through a section near the end of the book. "The end of the book is full of medical recipes meant for battle wounds. Warriors in my tribe needed good medicine, so our elders would archive our remedies." Knuckles turned to a page marked "Mild-Moderate Battle Injuries".

Scanning through a paragraph, Knuckles memorized the materials needed before nodding. "I'm going to find what I need for the medicine. I'll try to return as soon as possible. He probably won't wake up for a while, but just in case, don't let him move." Seeing Cream and Vanilla nod, Knuckles ran out of the house, searching for the ingredients his ancestors archived. Searching quickly, the echidna found the first of the four materials, a ginger root, in his back garden. "Okay, one ginger root down, three items to go." The echidna muttered as he picked the root.

While the red warrior searched the island for the ingredients, Vanilla found a mortar and pestle in a cupboard. "He'll probably need this to mix up the materials." She reasoned, placing the tools next to the book. Cream, meanwhile, sat next to the human, holding his hand tightly with hers. She was clearly worried, and seemed like she was about to cry. Vanilla looked to her daughter, wishing she could relax her. _'She's so worried, it's making me worry. I hope Knuckles hurries up so Chris can wake up.'_ She thought to herself as he began leafing through the book, making sure to keep the page.

Twenty long minutes later, Knuckles bolted back into the house, panting. Vanilla looked up to the echidna, and immediately stifled a laugh at the sight. Cream looked up from Chris's body, trying not to giggle. Knuckles's face was covered with red bumps, and he had a pissed off look. "Mr. Knuckles, what happened to you?" Cream asked, luckily able to hold it together. "Well, the remedy called for some honey from South Mobian bees, and those bastards are aggressive. That's why I have a special greenhouse built on the other side of the island. They stay in there, without attacking innocent people." Knuckles explained, walking back to the rabbits and placing the ingredients down.

**(Just a quick note: the South Mobian bees are the Mobius equivalent of the Africanized honeybee, also known as the "Killer Bees")**

Cream and Vanilla looked to the materials. The items were a ginger root, a small honeycomb with honey in it, a small chunk of a reddish mineral, and a green berry. "These combined will make a special liquid concoction that heals internal injuries, including bruised or broken bones." Knuckles said proudly, knowing the mix would work. _'I should know. I've had to use it on myself quite a few times. Damn bat girl.' _He thought as he began to fill a pot with water. "What are you doing, Knuckles?" The older rabbit asked, seeing him set the pot to boil. Knuckles turned to face Vanilla, grabbing the root in the process. "I need to boil the ginger root. The water is what's added to the mix, but the root has to be boiled in the water." The echidna dropped the root in the heating water and walked to the book.

"Let's see, the berry must be chopped and added to the water after the root has been used." The echidna mumbled the passage as he chopped the berry into small pieces. The rabbits looked on in interest as Knuckles took the mortar and pestle, starting to grind a part of the red mineral up. "Thanks for getting the mortar out." The echidna said to the rabbits, not sure of who did it. Vanilla smiled. "No problem." He nodded before going back to the grinding.

"What is that mineral anyway?" Cream asked. As he continued grinding, Knuckles explained. "Well, there isn't really an official name for it. My tribe discovered it's a renewable mineral that regenerates often, and can only be found on Angel Island. Since my tribe discovered it, they nicknamed it 'Echidine'. It's a dumb name, but I don't care. Apparently, it's what builds back broken bones." Cream nodded, watching as Knuckles poured the ground mineral into a small bowl. A few moments later, the echidna poured some boiling water into the bowl, making sure the mineral mixed with the root water. He threw in the berry pieces and stirred. The mix turned the water into a weird red mix.

Pouring the honey into the bowl, Knuckles stirred again and poured some of the medicine into a small glass. "Okay, the medicine is done. Now, we just have to get Chris to swallow it." Cream looked to the unconscious boy for a moment before mumbling "how?" The echidna put the glass to Chris's mouth. "With the work you guys did, he should be able to move a little now. Watch this." He whispered. The rabbits watched as Knuckles smirked. "Hey, Chris. Sonic got hit by a car today!" He said loudly. As he expected, Chris shot straight up, awake and aware, looking around for his fallen friend. "What, where, huh…" Knuckles forced his mouth open wider and poured the remedy down the human's throat.

Chris swallowed, immediately coughing after. Knuckles let his friend go, smiling. "Sorry, man. I had to wake you up and I knew that'd do it." Chris glared at the red echidna before laughing his ass off. Knuckles was stunned, unsure of why his friend was laughing at him. Seconds later, it hit him. "Those damn bees." He muttered, realizing Chris was laughing at the echidna's stings. Cream and Vanilla smiled, replacing their previous looks of shock.

After Chris calmed down and stood up, Knuckles covered the bowl with a lid. "So, Knuckles," Chris started, "how long should the elixir take to work?" Knuckles handed the human the bowl. "Well, you'll have to take the rest of the medicine to fully recover, but each dose should kick in after about fifteen minutes. That bowl has one last dose in it. Take it tonight before you go to sleep, and you should be back to normal before morning." Chris nodded, accepting the bowl happily. "You owe me big time for the honey." The echidna added, getting a look of wonder from the human.

"Why? Isn't it a part of the medicine?" Vanilla asked. Knuckles sighed. "Yes and no," he started. "You see, the medicine doesn't really call for the honey. It's just an edit to the recipe. Look at the bottom of the page and find out why." Vanilla looked at the bottom of the page and saw a footnote. She read aloud:

_The honey of the South Mobian bee has no medicinal effect on the body, but it adds taste to the mixture. Early experiments with children showed the medicine worked without honey. However, the older members would commit suicide as a result of the horribly bitter taste of the mix. As a result, all subsequent creations will add honey from the local bees."_

Chris, Cream, and Vanilla sweat-dropped, while Knuckles grinned. "Yeah, apparently, the taste was so bitter that those taking it would off themselves rather than accept it and heal. Go figure." He shrugged it off, looking back at the human. "This is why you owe me for the honey." Nodding in acceptance, Chris pulled out his teleporter. "Well, I'll see you again soon, Knuckles. Let's train again sometime." He winked, before the three of them disappeared. Knuckles smirked and sat down. _'Yeah, we'll train again. But, you bet your ass I'm not going through that again!' _He thought as he turned on the television.

The trio appeared inside the house, noticing how late the time was. "Does anyone want to watch a movie?" Vanilla asked the two teens, who nodded. "Good. Chris, why don't you pick out something?" As the rabbits sat down, Chris looked at the discs on the shelf. "How about this? I haven't watched it in a while." Chris asked, pulling out "Deadliest Warrior, season 1." Cream squealed in excitement, having seen it before and enjoyed the show. Vanilla took Cream's squeal as a yes, nodding in agreement. They spent the next four hours watching half of the season. Each time, a mix of cheers, groans, and taunts were heard from the trio, debating whether or not the winners should have won.

After the fourth episode, Vanilla shut off the player for the night. "Alright, it's time for bed. Chris, make sure you take that medicine Knuckles gave you." She announced. Chris nodded and walked into the kitchen to grab a glass. Cream looked over to her mother with a happy look. "I'm glad Chris is alright. I was worried about him earlier." Vanilla laughed, knowing worried was an understatement. "Hey, mom. Can Chris spend the night with me again? I think he'd be better off in a bed than the couch." Cream asked and explained. Vanilla agreed before kissing Cream on the forehead. "Good night Cream." Vanilla walked towards her room.

Chris walked out of the kitchen, seeing Cream smiling. "What's up?" He asked, unaware of how glad Cream was that her 'older brother' was safe. "Oh, nothing. Come on, let's get to sleep." Cream quickly said, dragging the confused human towards her bedroom.

**(Later that night, 3 a.m.)**

Vanilla walked into the kitchen, making sure not to hit anything. She had woken up and wanted to get a glass of water. Silently entering the kitchen, the older rabbit got what she wanted and left. As she passed the living room, her eye caught Chris sitting on the couch, seemingly asleep. Walking carefully over to the human, she saw he wasn't sleeping, but writing. She saw the pages, as well as a red stain on one of the previous pages, and realized it was his journal. "Chris." She said quietly, as to not wake her daughter.

Chris jumped suddenly, hiding his precious journal from the older rabbit. "Oh, hi Vanilla. What are you doing up?" The human asked, visibly shaken. Vanilla smiled gently. "I was getting a glass of water. What's with you? Can't sleep?" She asked in a calm tone, trying to relax the human. "Actually, yeah. I was feeling a bit odd, so I called Knuckles. He told me that the medicine can sometimes cause restlessness at night. He also told me that it usually wears off after a few hours of activity." He explained, which was the truth. He, however, kept out the part about the echidna threatening to throw him into the bee area for waking him up at an ungodly hour.

Vanilla nodded. "Alright, but I think you should be going to bed. It's already 3. Good night." She yawned and walked back to her room. Just before she closed her door, she saw Chris open his journal again. _'I know it's not right, but I have to see what he is writing.'_ She thought as she drank her water and sat down. Covering herself up, she yawned again, ready for the comfort of sleep.

**Demon: There we go. Chapter 11 is done.**

**Skagui: Hooray!**

**Falcon: About time.**

**ANBU: I wonder what Chris has in his journal. *wink***

**Skagui: Once a perv, always a perv.**

**ANBU: Shut up.**

**Falcon: Oh yeah. Demon, where's my money?**

**Demon: What money?**

**Falcon: The twenty bucks you owe me for losing the bet.**

**Demon: Damn. I thought you'd forget. Here's your cash, bitch.**

**ANBU: Ha ha, he called you bitch!**

**Falcon: Shut up!**

**(Falcon slapped ANBU across the face, knocking him out cold)**

**Demon: Damn it, Falcon. Oh well, anyway. Read and Review!**

**Falcon: No flaming!**

**(Snypo runs into the room naked, a naked Rouge following him)**

**Snypo: Help me, dammit!**

**Rouge: Get back here, sexy!**

**(All others, minus ANBU, watch the two run out of the room)**

**Demon: (muttering) I always befriend the weird ones.**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	12. Chapter 12 Seeking Employment

**(Demon walks in with a cast on his left arm)**

**Demon: Welcome back to Love: Smells Like Vanilla.**

**Amy: Jerk.**

**Demon: Shut up. Alright, can we get straight to the chapter?**

**Falcon: Hell no. You owe us.**

**Snypo: Yeah. I read your comment. You owe us.**

**(ANBU walks in)**

**ANBU: He owes us for what?**

**Falcon: He said he befriends the weird people, meaning us.**

**ANBU: WHAT? You bastard!**

**Demon: Will you cut it out?**

**Amy: Hey, where's Skagui? He should be here yelling at you too.**

**Demon: Skagui called me earlier and said she fell out of a two story window. The screw-off broke her legs and will be out of commission.**

**Amy: How long?**

**Demon: Three chapters at least.**

**ANBU: That sucks.**

**(ANBU notices Demon's cast)**

**ANBU: Hey, what's with your arm?**

**Demon: Those guys ambushed me the other night because of my comment.**

**Falcon: Well, you shouldn't insult us.**

**Demon: Enough!**

**Snypo: Dick.**

**Demon: That's it! Hey, Rouge! I'll give you fifty bucks to show Snypo a good time!**

**(Rouge flies in, grabbing Snypo and flying out the window)**

**Rouge: No problem!**

**Snypo: FUCK!**

**Demon: Now then, on with the chapter.**

**Falcon: Dick.**

**Demon: AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!**

Chapter 12: Seeking Employment

The next few days passed relatively quickly. Chris got back to his training in the field and continued his efforts. Vanilla wasn't too surprised about this, seeing that he was determined. What did shock her was that Cream wanted to train too. While she wasn't too thrilled about the idea at first, she relented after an entire day of begging. "I just know that now I'm going to have to heal both of you when you get excessive," She muttered that night, watching them practice.

Cream took to the training method fairly easily, surprising herself and Chris. Within only three days of training, she had exceled to the level of an orange belt. During this day, Chris was teaching Cream a kata, which was like shadow boxing. As he showed her the flow of the technique, he couldn't help but smile at the rabbit. _'It's amazing. It took me three months to reach orange belt. She did it in only three days. I'm impressed.'_ He looked at Cheese, who was copying his owner and the human, nearly causing Chris to double over laughing. Though he wasn't taking it too seriously, the Chao was already showing signs of yellow belt achievement.

Taking a break from today's training, Chris and Cream decided to play a game of tag. Chris was designated "it" first, so he gave Cream and Cheese a head start. After waiting thirty seconds, Chris started running, looking for a target. He managed to find Cream dodging behind a tree, oblivious to the human's awareness. Choosing to trick her, Chris ran to the side, as if he had no clue to her location. As she stood behind the tree to catch a breath, the human bounded back quietly, keeping within her blind spot. "Okay, I should be safe here for now." He heard her say slowly, snickering. "You're it!" Chris shouted as he tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jump a few feet.

While she collected herself, Chris bounded back deeper into the forest area. Cream rushed in, hoping to find Chris and get him back. Cheese, all the while, was hiding in a tree, watching the other two chase each other, stifling a giggle.

Chris bounded farther into the forest, looking back to see if Cream was on his tail. Luckily, he didn't see the young rabbit around, causing him to sigh in relief. What he didn't know was that she took a shortcut and was actually in front of him. _'Yes. She won't catch me if I keep this pace up. Alright!_' He thought smugly as he continued running. A voice echoed through the forest, catching him off guard. "You're it!"

Chris kept running, not sure who that was directed to, at least until Cream's arm shot out in front of him. She heard an "Oh shit!" before feeling a slight pain in her arm, followed by a loud thud and a wheezing sound. Looking over, she was stunned to see a dazed Chris lying on the ground, wheezing. He grabbed his throat as he sat up. "Fuck. That hurt." He finally managed to get out, finally catching his breath. "Sorry, Chris!" Cream grabbed him in a hug, crying. "I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm sorry." She cried, holding tight to her "brother". Chris embraced her, holding her tight. "It's alright, Cream. It's okay. I'm fine." He rubbed her head in an attempt to soothe her, which seemed to work.

Cream looked at him, having stopped crying. "You sure you're okay?" She asked, getting a nod in confirmation. Smiling, the two stood up and walked back to the house, Cheese waiting for them at the end of the forest. "Well, looks like you won the game." Chris said, making Cream smile slightly. "Honestly, I didn't expect to get clotheslined, but it was still fun." Cream blushed in shame, feeling bad about doing that. Chris, noticing her reaction, put a hand on her head and rubbed her fur a bit. "I seem to get hurt a lot, don't I?" He asked jokingly, getting a laugh from the young rabbit.

Making it back to the house, Chris began to think to himself, walking into the home. _'I really should try to earn my keep here. I don't want to be a freeloader.' _He noticed the newspaper lying on the table, and picked it up quickly. "What are you doing, Chris?" The human looked over and saw Vanilla walk into the living room, a look of confusion on her face. "Well, I don't want to feel like a freeloader, so I'm looking to see if I can find a job around." He explained, turning back to the paper. "You don't need to do that. You're not a freeloader." She said, smiling. "You're making Cream happier for being here. That's payment enough."

Chris smiled back before looking at the paper. "Thanks, Vanilla. Still, though, I'd like to be able to do something. All I do here is train. I think I should do more than get myself hurt, right?" He replied, smirking at the last part. Before the older rabbit could reply, Chris pointed to an ad in the classifieds section.

Instructor Wanted

Experience: Black Belt or higher

Must be able to teach Karate

Pay: Negotiable

Yin-Yang Dojo

314 STH Street

Looking at the ad in the paper, Vanilla smiled, knowing that would fit Chris well. "You know," He said, "if this works, I'll actually get paid to get hurt every day." He and Vanilla shared a laugh.

**About half an hour later…**

Chris and Cream were walking down STH Street, looking for the Yin-Yang Dojo. Chris had changed his clothes into a white polo shirt with black horizontal stripes and a pair of black and white striped shorts. "Funny how of all the clothes I picked, I randomly chose the ones that would fit the situation to a tee." Chris muttered, noticing the obvious matchup to the dojo. Cream laughed before punching his arm playfully. "Who knows? That might work in your favor." She said playfully. Chris nodded, smiling. _'I hope so.'_ He thought to himself.

After walking for a few more moments, the dojo finally came into view. It wasn't very hard to discern the place, seeing as the marquee included a large Taoism symbol. Chris and Cream walked through the doors, the former nervous about the job. As they walked in, they noticed the many animals sparring in white and black gis near them. "Can I help you two?" The pair turned to see a large panda bear walking toward them, sporting a white gi and a black belt. "I'm Chris, and I'm here to apply for the position of instructor in the paper." The human replied calmly, trying to keep cool.

The bear looked him over a bit before frowning. "I'm sorry son, but I specifically stated that I need a black belt or higher." He said, crossing his arms. Chris crossed his arms as well. "Sir, I don't have my gear with me, but I assure you I'm currently a second-degree black belt." He said with a straight face, showing he was honest. The bear scratched his chin for a moment, before sighing. "I'm afraid I have no proof you're telling the truth. Sorry." The bear said quietly.

Chris wouldn't give up. Come hell or high water, he was getting the job. "I'll prove it. Set me up with a match. I'll prove I'm a black belt." He said confidently, hoping to prove himself. The bear looked around for a bit before he rested his eyes on a purple chameleon resting on a bench, watching the students. "Hey, Espio. Come over here, will you?" He called, causing the ninja to walk over. "Espio?" Chris said, stunned. As Espio walked over, he noticed Chris and Cream. "Hey, guys. What's up?" He asked. "I didn't realize you were back, Chris. How've you been?" Chris smiled. "I've been better, but I'm doing well. I didn't know you worked here." Espio smirked. "Well, the Chaotix detective agency has been going slow, so I took an extra job for fun."

"Ahem!" Everyone looked to the panda, who seemed a bit agitated at the sudden shift in conversation. "Espio, this young man wishes to apply to be an instructor. However, I need to see if he's telling the truth about being a black belt. Do you mind sparring with him to test him?" He asked Espio, calming down greatly. "Of course, sensei. Chris, let's go to the test arena over there." The chameleon pointed to a small ring in the corner, which the group walked to. The panda and Cream sat on the bench, while the two combatants stepped into the ring. "This is not about winning or losing. This is just to gauge your level." The panda said to Chris before looking back. "Begin!"

Espio and Chris each got into a stance, waiting for the other to make the first move. After a few seconds, Chris moved slowly and carefully to make the opening attack. He swung a fist at Espio, who keenly dodged and struck back. This attack connected, sending Chris back a few feet. He quickly recovered and ran towards the chameleon. Espio jumped to the side in time to avoid a kick that would have sent him flying. As they stared each other down, Chris smiled and reached into his sleeves. Espio took a defensive stance, not sure of what Chris had hidden.

However, it was unnecessary, as Chris only removed the weights off of his arms. Throwing the bands out of the ring, he bent down and pulled his leg weights off. Espio stared, impressed that Chris was wearing weights the entire time. He smiled before getting into an offensive stance. Chris stood there, a look of confidence plastered on his face. Espio went in for a chop, only to be blocked by Chris's arm. The human retaliated with a punch from his side, which Espio cleanly blocked. Both continued throwing punches and kicks, only for the other to block, dodge, or parry each move.

Chris continued with this onslaught, thinking to himself. _'Espio's really good at this. I guess he's not the ninja he's known as for nothing. Still, this seems very familiar. But, where?'_ He continued the routine, surprising the panda and Cream. "That's definitely the skill of a second-degree black belt, at least." He mumbled, amazed. The battle continued, with neither side giving an inch. When Espio threw an uppercut at a specific position, the realization hit Chris. _'Now I remember. We're copying the kata I learned at my last test! This was when I got the second-degree belt!' _With the realization, Chris knew the kata portion was almost done. Remembering the last move, Chris jumped back a step and landed a strong kick that finished the kata. Espio, missing the pace by only a fraction of a second, got hit and skidded back a few feet, panting.

"That's enough!" The panda announced, causing the two warriors to relax. Walking up to each other, Chris and Espio shook hands, thanking the other for a good match. Chris turned in time to see the panda walking up to him. "I'm impressed, son. You really handled yourself well there." He said, patting Chris on the back. "Clearly, you were telling the truth. That kata you two did was the test for the second-degrees. Espio got his second-degree belt only two months ago. Yet, you matched him move for move. That was very impressive." Chris smiled, nodding in acceptance. "If you still want the position, you've got it." Chris looked happy as he quickly accepted the offer. "Good, let's step into my office and discuss your arrangements. Espio, please return to what you were doing." The panda finished, causing Espio to bow and walk back to the students. "By the way, the name's Scott." The panda added.

"Thank you, sensei Scott." Chris bowed as they walked toward the office. As Scott entered the office, Chris looked at Cream. "Look at that, I didn't get hurt that time!" Chris laughed as he turned and immediately slammed into the door frame. Holding his nose, Chris muttered "Damn it." Defeated, he walked into the office, Cream behind him.

**Demon: There we have it! Chapter 12 is finished!**

**Falcon: Finally. Took you long enough.**

**Demon: Shut up.**

**Amy: Um, I'm curious. Why is the panda's name Scott? I mean, why isn't it anything more…**

**Demon: Stereotypical? The reason is that I take karate and my sensei's name is Scott. **

**Amy: Okay, I get it.**

**Falcon: What are you, anyway?**

**Demon: I'm a green belt. I hope to become a purple belt soon.**

**ANBU: Well, good luck with that.**

**Demon: Thanks. Read and review people!**

**Amy: No flaming!**

**ANBU: Yeah! (Slaps Amy's ass)**

**Amy: Damn it, ANBU! **

**(Amy runs after ANBU, holding her hammer)**

**Demon: Why, God? Why?**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	13. Chapter 13 Sneak a Peek

**Demon: Welcome back!**

**(Snypo runs in, panting)**

**Snypo: God damn it. Rouge doesn't know when to quit!**

**Demon: Well, at least you have a girl after you.**

**(Skagui enters in a wheelchair)**

**Skagui: 'Sup bitches!**

**Demon: Skagui, what happened to you?**

**Skagui: Well, I fell out of a window…**

**Demon: No, not that. How are you here already?**

**Skagui: Good luck. **

**Demon: Let me guess. Luck of the Irish, right?**

**(Cricket chirping)**

**Falcon: Lame.**

**Demon: Shut up.**

**ANBU: Dude, where you been? I joined karate to train my ninja skills, and you're not there anymore!**

**Demon: Economy sucks. Had to quit.**

**ANBU: Damn.**

**Demon: Okay. Here's the chapter!**

Chapter 13: Sneak a Peek

Vanilla was busy cleaning the house, which was vacant aside from her. As she finished cleaning the living room, she decided to check up on Cream's room. She entered, taking notice of the clean floor. She scanned around the room, examining the shelves, dressers, bed, and any other items that might possibly be dirty. After seeing everything was in order, the older rabbit turned to leave. As she did so, she happened upon something out of place. A book, mostly hidden, was jutting just out from behind the dresser near the door.

"What's this doing here?" Vanilla asked herself, bending down to retrieve the book. "I can't believe Cream would just leave a book like that. I expected better of her." The older rabbit muttered in disappointment as she straightened up, walking to the bookcase. Just as she found an open space to place the book, two black letters caught her attention. She looked at the letters, reading them out. "C.T."

(LSLV)

"So, all you have to do is sign this contract, and it'll be done." Scott explained, typing on the office computer and printing a group of papers. After stapling the papers together, the panda handed the contract to Chris. "Work on weekends, from noon to seven, minimum wage, and you can get any training gear for free. All you need to do is train the weekend classes." Chris looked over the contract, checking for any loopholes or traps within (occasionally proofing his late father's contracts helped here). Seeing none, the human nodded as he wrote his signature, sealing the deal.

"Good. Now that that's taken care of, let's see what we got in your size." The panda walked to a large locker. He pulled the door open, revealing a number of gis in different sizes and colors. "Here we go. Try this one on." The panda pulled a white gi out, also pulling out a black belt. Chris took the gi and belt and entered an adjacent restroom. Five minutes later, the teen re-emerged, the gi a perfect fit. "I have just one question. What's with the markings?" Chris asked, pointing to the marks on the belt. Scott smiled. "Well, those white stripes signal what level of black belt you are. You said you're a second degree, so you have two stripes." Chris nodded, tightening the belt a bit. "When do I start?"

(LSLV)

Vanilla was sitting on Cream's bed, leafing through the entries in the journal. _'It's still not right, but I just have to see what he wrote.'_ She had thought to herself earlier, recognizing the journal. She saw that he was writing every day now, rather than weekly. She also noticed he began dating the entries in days since arriving, rather than actual date. In the first entry he did so, it said he had trouble keeping track of the calendar day, which differed between Earth and Mobius. She had seen entries based on his battle with Knuckles, his training with Cream, and even Knuckles's apparent threat with the bees (she wasn't too happy about that). As she read through the pages, she noticed his mood has definitely improved. _'The thought that the same person who only a few months ago tried to end his life is now writing in joy and excitement is mind-boggling.' _Vanilla thought as she continued reading. She came across the final journal entry, which Chris had apparently written the night before.

_Day 11_

_ I am feeling a bit restless now. Despite the training I've been undergoing, I still feel like I have to do something. Besides, I feel like a freeloader right now. I've been feeling like that for the last week. I'm going to try to find a job soon. If anything, this will help me feel more accomplished. I'm sure Vanilla and Cream will enjoy me being away every so often, anyway. I'm sure I'm a burden, even if they say otherwise._

Vanilla smiled sadly, regretting that Chris felt that way. "If only he could tell we really don't feel that way." She said quietly, forgetting she was alone in the house. She continued reading.

_Honestly, I'm glad that Cream has decided to join my training. I think we've both been improving very much the last few days. Cream and Cheese have been rising in level quickly, and I think I'm getting more out of this than just sparring with a tree. Although we agreed to keep this secret, Cream kicked my ass yesterday. Apparently, she's played Captain Falcon before, and the proof sent me headfirst into a pine tree. Luckily, Vanilla bought my story that I fell. I'm glad the bruise disappeared only an hour after we got back. _

Vanilla burst into laughter, not able to help herself. She couldn't imagine her daughter being such a powerhouse. Vanilla took a few moments to recover before returning to the journal.

(LSLV)

Chris and Cream were walking back through town, both clutching a duffel bag. "I'm amazed Scott let me have another 200 pounds in weights free." Chris said, carrying half of it in his bag, the other half in Cream's bag. Cream smiled. "I can't believe he gave me and Cheese both a gi to keep. Not to mention the weighted bands too." Cream gushed, sporting her new gi over her normal clothes, Cheese following close behind, admiring his own gi.

Chris laughed. "It was funny how you judo tossed him out the office when he made that joke." Cream glared at her brother, a stress mark evident. "Well, do I **look** like I'd fit in a XXL gi?" She spat, venom in her voice. Chris took a step away from the young rabbit, achieving a safe distance. "No, but he was just joking. Please relax." Cream brightened up, unable to stay angry at her "brother". "So, what do you think Mom's doing right now?" She asked. Chris shrugged his shoulders as a response as they turned to the street heading to the edge of town.

(LSLV)

Vanilla was enthralled in the journal entry. She had read something she hadn't expected, which prompted her to reread it a few times.

_ I've been having that feeling again. It's only around Vanilla, but it's strange. I have a similar feeling around Cream, but slightly different. I also recall having the same feeling for Cream as around my family. I think that feeling is family love, but I'm not convinced that's what I feel for Vanilla. It feels different, stronger perhaps. I discussed it with Sonic the other day, and what he told me confirmed my suspicions, but also scared me. _

_ He told me the feeling was the same he had for Amy. He said the feeling is love. Not family love, or sibling love, but real love. Of course, Sonic had to give me an hour of ribbing as payment for his advice. Still, at least I was correct in my assumption. I love Vanilla. Honestly, how I didn't realize it baffles me. _

_ Regardless, I'm not telling anyone else. First off, I don't know how Vanilla feels. I'd rather not make things more awkward and risk my friendship with her. Second, I don't know how Cream would react. I'm a brother to her, for God's sake! How could she possibly accept her "brother" dating her mother? Besides, I'm not sure how the others would react. As if the whole separate species thing didn't matter enough, but she's also twelve years older than me! I'm sure we'd get some kind of reaction, all right!_

_ At least I know I can trust my journal. It won't judge me, regardless of what I say to it. Hell, I've cut my wrist and let the blood drip on its pages! If it doesn't judge me on that, it won't judge me at all, which I'm glad for. Unfortunately, this journal is nearly full. I never had an eighth edition, nor can I get one, being on Mobius. Anyway, I'm just glad to have something to talk to without fear of judgment._

_ As a final note, I'm going to have to be wary of Cream. I think she's been sneaking peeks of my journal, even though I never told anyone about it. I saw a tear stain on my journal entry from the fifteenth of January (the time skip thing really confused the hell out of me). I know I didn't cry when I wrote that. I have the sneaking suspicion Cream has been looking at this. I have seen Cream picking books from the case, so I worry. Luckily, I managed to find a good hiding spot behind the dresser. She'll never find it now!_

The older rabbit closed the journal, finally done with the entry. She mentally cursed herself for accidently crying on the page last time. Now, she was feeling a mix of joy and guilt. She was joyful that Chris actually had love for her, but she was feeling two levels of guilt. Not only was she guilty for reading Chris's journal, but now her actions has Chris suspicious of Cream. _'I'm going to have to admit it to him sooner or later, or else Cream will suffer for it.'_ She thought as she hid the journal back where it was.

She heard the door open, and the voices of the two teens. She quickly grabbed her rag and bolted into her room, hoping she wasn't seen. "Mom, we're home!" The younger rabbit called to her mother, setting the bag down, Chris following suit. Vanilla walked out of her room, smiling. "Good to see you're back. How'd it go?" She asked Chris. The human smirked. "I got the job, and the boss got a judo toss, courtesy of Cream." He chuckled, while Cream glared again.

Not noticing the glare her daughter gave off, Vanilla laughed as well. "How about we go out and celebrate? Let's go to Olive Garden." She said, calming down. Cream squealed in excitement, causing Chris to cover his ears. Vanilla smiled at the two. _'I'll tell him soon.'_ She told herself as they went to get changed. "By the way, Vanilla. What are we celebrating, my employment or Cream's throwing?" Chris asked as a joke. Vanilla didn't miss a beat. "Both!" The trio laughed as they went into different rooms to change for the night.

**Demon: Chapter 13 is finished!**

**Skagui: Finally. **

**Demon: I actually agree for once.**

**ANBU: So, Chris loves Vanilla, huh? (snickers)**

**Falcon: ANBU, stop before you get thrown out the window again.**

**ANBU: Fine. Bitch.**

**Falcon: I heard that!**

**Snypo: I'm amazed Rouge didn't start anything this time.**

**(On cue, Rouge flies in, grabbing Snypo)**

**Rouge: You called?**

**Snypo: Shit.**

**(Rouge drags Snypo out of the room)**

**ANBU: Lucky son of a bitch.**

**Demon: ANBU! God damn it.**

**Falcon: Anyways, read and review Demon's story!**

**Demon: No flaming!**

**ANBU: MUFFIN BUTTON!**

**All others: -_-'**

**Demon: No more DBZ Abridged before chapters!**

**ANBU: (sniffling) Muffin button…**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	14. Chapter 14 Nighttime Confessions

**Demon: Welcome back to Love: Smells Like Vanilla!**

**Skagui: About time you get your ass to updating.**

**Demon: Shut the hell up, Skagui.**

**(ANBU walks in carrying a muffin)**

**ANBU: Well, you need to update more.**

**Demon: Will you shut… where'd you get that muffin?**

**ANBU: Muffin button.**

**Demon: I never got a muffin button.**

**ANBU: Then, where'd I get this muffin?**

**Snypo: (clears throat) If you guys would stop the TFS talk, can we continue?**

**Demon: Right! Thanks, Snypo.**

**Snypo: S'all right!**

**Falcon: Hey, where's Amy?**

**Demon: They're all back on Mobius for a few days. Seems they couldn't wait for summer and wanted an early vacay. They'll be back next chapter.**

**Snypo: So, no raping from Rouge this time? Fuck yeah!**

**Demon: That reminds me. Enjoy, Rouge! **

**(Demon pushes a button, causing Snypo to fall into a portal)**

**Snypo: No! Asshole!**

**Falcon: The fuck?**

**Demon: Rouge offered me a hundred bucks to send him with her for the vacation.**

**Skagui: Shit. I'd do it for fifty.**

**ANBU: (finishing muffin) Can we get to the story now?**

**Demon: Right. Enjoy, everybody!**

Chapter 14: Nighttime Confessions

The evening passed with great happiness. The two rabbits and human were relaxing in the living room, having returned from their lovely dinner at Olive Garden. They are now watching the rest of "Deadliest Warrior", season 1. Vanilla watched as Chris and Cream argued over who should win. "The knight is going to win!" Cream said, not seeing this episode before. Chris shook his head. "No way. The pirate has guns. The knight's armor won't stand up to it." The older rabbit shook her head, smiling. _'It's like they're family already.'_ She thought.

Five episodes (and a few curse words coming from Cream) later, the trio were preparing for bed. Chris walked up to Vanilla, clothes in hand. "I'm going take a shower. I'll sleep on the couch, if that's alright." Vanilla nodded, yawning. "Just don't stay up too long." She replied as she walked back to her room. Cream, already sleeping, was sitting in the recliner, covered in a blanket. Chris looked at Cream and smiled. _'I should probably bring her to bed.'_ Chris thought, looking at his clothes. _'After I shower, that is.'_

(LSLV)

Chris awoke to the sound of the front door opening and closing. Sitting up, the human looked around; hoping to see what was the cause of the noise. "That's odd." He said, seeing the door unlocked. "Vanilla always locks the door at night." Getting up slowly, the human walked over to the door. Chris opened the door, expecting to see nothing. Instead, he noticed a shadowy figure running into the field near the house. Fully awake, Chris ran to catch up to the figure.

"Damn it, why now?" Chris muttered as he rushed through the darkness. He could barely see the figure ahead of him, also running. Chris didn't see the figure duck for a second, following quickly. His reward was a swift clothesline from a low tree branch, which knocked him onto his back, stunning him for a moment. When he came to, he saw he was alone. "Shit." Chris muttered, standing up and avoiding the same branch that took him down. Unsure of where the figure ran off to, he walked blindly through the forest, eventually hearing a dull thud. _'What's that noise?' _The human thought, peeking through a group of trees. Focusing his eyes, he noticed a certain rabbit punching a tree.

(LSLV)

Vanilla stepped out of her room, yawning. "Grab some water and get to bed." The rabbit muttered, scratching her ear as she dragged herself into the kitchen. Filling herself a cup of water, the older rabbit took a moment to think about the human living with her. _'I wonder how I'll tell him I know. I'm sure he won't appreciate a simple 'Hey, I read your journal and saw you love me' very much. How can I tell him without causing more trouble than necessary?' _She thought as she walked out of the kitchen, glass in hand. "Well, I'll figure it out sooner or lat… what the hell?" She said, looking up to the open door and empty couch.

(LSLV)

"Cream, what the hell are you doing out here so late?" Chris asked, walking into the clearing. Cream, clearly surprised, turned around. "N… nothing. I'm just… getting some fresh air is all." She said, stammering a bit. Chris heard her voice and knew she was worried about something. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "It's alright, Cream. If something's wrong, you can tell me." He explained, trying to help the young rabbit relax.

Both sat down on a stump and took a deep breath. "So, what's up?" The human asked after a moment. Cream decided to steel her nerves and talk with him. "Well, I'm not sure if Tails really likes me. I mean, I haven't seen him in the last couple weeks, since you've been here. It makes me wonder if he's not interested." She explained, worry evident in her voice. Chris smiled. _'So, that's what's wrong.' _He thought as he rubbed her back in a comforting manner. "Well, how about tomorrow we go visit him. I'm sure he still likes you, Cream. Maybe he's just been giving you time to adjust to someone else around you." He finished, bringing Cream into a hug. "You're a strong girl, Cream. You can handle anything life throws at you." _'This is why you're stronger than me.'_ He thought as he held her close. "Besides, if he pisses you off, you could probably throw him straight to Space Colony ARK." He joked, getting a chuckle out of the younger rabbit.

Cream nodded with a smirk. "I could probably throw you there if I wanted too." She said with an evil tone. Chris looked at Cream for a second before sighing in relief, seeing Cream's joking expression. They shared a fist bump in agreement before yawning. However, Cream caught sight of something on Chris's arm, despite the darkness. _'What's that?'_ She thought for a moment. "Hey, Chris. What's that line on your wrist?" She asked seriously, causing Chris to stop. Looking down at the red scar, he thought to himself. _'This is the perfect chance to catch her.' _

"Well, I never told you guys this, but when I escaped the fire, I had to break through a window. It scratched me up and caused a scar on my wrist." He lied, waiting for her reaction. Cream looked at the scar before nodding. "I understand. I'm just surprised the rest of you isn't scratched up like that." Chris froze for a moment, realizing she had a point. _'That would be kind of odd only having one scratch. I guess the direct approach is better.' _He thought solemnly. "Cream?" The rabbit looked over to him as he spoke. "Did you find something in your room unfamiliar?" Cream thought a moment before shaking her head. "Not that I could think of. What do you have in mind?" She honestly replied. Chris sighed. "I mean, something like…"

"Your journal?" Chris froze hearing a new voice adding to the conversation. Turning his gaze, he visibly paled when Vanilla walked into the clearing, his journal in her hand. _'Shit! Not that! Not her!' _He thought as his pale intensified. Cream looked at the book, then back to Chris. "You have a journal?" She asked, surprised. Chris nodded slowly, watching Vanilla's tense expression. "I'm sorry, Chris," She started, "but I read it. All of it." If Cream hadn't heard Chris's heartbeat, she could have sworn from his pale face and expression that he was dead.

"You… you read my journal?" Chris asked, shaking. Vanilla sighed and nodded. It took all of Chris' nerve not to run away at that instant. The older rabbit gripped the book and sighed. "I had to tell you, since you thought Cream was reading the book." She explained, looking at the human, who looked like he was about to drop dead. Cream looked at Chris, clearly confused. "What's wrong?" She asked the human, who looked like death was a great option at the moment. Vanilla sighed. "Let's go home and explain this." The older rabbit left, followed by her daughter and the human.

(LSLV)

"So, that scar was from you trying to kill yourself?" Cream asked, tears in her eyes. With Chris's consent, Vanilla had Cream read the entire journal, excluding the parts involving his loving the older rabbit. Needless to say, Cream was shocked and nearly devastated. The human merely nodded. "I felt like there was nothing I could do at the time. I… I had no other choices." He said lowly, looking at the scar. Vanilla placed a hand on his wrist, comforting him. "Well, now you do have options. You're with us, and that won't change." She said confidently, perking the human up slightly. Cream grabbed hold of Chris, fighting to keep her tears in.

Chris wrapped Cream in a hug, holding her tightly. "It's alright, Cream. I'm not like that anymore, and I promise I won't try anything like that ever again." He said, which seemed to calm the rabbit down. Cream looked up to Chris and smiled. "Okay." She replied, snuggling to her brother. Vanilla smiled and stood up. "Alright. It's time to return to bed. Cream, why don't you head off now, and Chris will join you in a few moments." Cream nodded and went to her room, leaving only Chris and Vanilla in the living room.

"So…" Chris said, blushing slightly at what was next. Vanilla sighed, handing him his journal. "I did read about your feelings. I'm surprised, if nothing else." She said, looking at the human. Chris sighed, his eyes focused on the book in his hands. "I don't know why, but I just feel that way about you. You're just such a kind person, with a heart of gold. Honestly, the real question is how someone could not feel like that for you. I know you probably don't feel the same way, which is why I kept them a secret. Nobody else was supposed to find this, let alone read it." He admitted shamefully.

Vanilla smiled sweetly at him, which he didn't see. "I'm not saying I don't feel the same. It's just, it's something that's hard to handle. Clearly, when someone says they love you out of the blue, you're bound to be shocked at it." She explained, holding his hand. He lifted his head up in shock. "You're not mad or disgusted at me?" He asked, getting a 'no' in response. "I feel the same way, but for now, dealing with it will have to wait. After all, your 'sister' is waiting for you." She said, smiling. Vanilla leaned forward and gave Chris a peck on the lips before standing up. "Good night, Chris. We'll talk more in the morning." Vanilla walked back to her room, leaving Chris to register what happened.

"Wow." Chris muttered, clutching his journal and walking to Cream's room. 'I can't believe what happened tonight. Well, maybe we can take care of all of this soon.' He thought as he entered Cream's room, said rabbit sitting in bed, waiting for him. Chris placed the journal on the dresser before climbing in next to Cream. "Good night, Cream." Chris whispered, covering up. Cream grabbed onto him tight, whispering a "good night" back. Both fell asleep, each feeling a bit of stress and happiness at the night's events.

**Demon: There's chapter 14.**

**Skagui: Dude, this seems short.**

**Falcon: And a bit weak. **

**Demon: Look, I've been studying my ass off for finals. My mind's basically fried right now. The fact I got this done is a miracle in itself.**

**ANBU: Don't worry, dude. It's all good. Now, let's get some muffins to celebrate an update!**

**Demon: Damn it, ANBU! I don't have a fucking muffin button!**

**Skagui: Don't sweat. I do.**

**(Skagui pushes a button on her watch, causing each person to receive a muffin)**

**ANBU: SWEET! MUFFIN BUTTON!**

**Demon: Damn…**

**ANBU: (chomping into his muffin) Read and Review!**

**Falcon: No flames!**

**Demon: (looks at muffin) Damn… (takes a bite)**

**~DemonFiccer~**


	15. Chapter 15 A New Family

**Demon: Welcome back to…**

**Creeper: It's about goddamn motherfucking time!**

**Demon: Shit, Creeper. Calm down!**

**Creeper: Fuck no! You haven't updated this story in almost 6 fucking months!**

**Falcon: You have to admit, he's right.**

**Snypo: Right. This story's got a mountain of dust on it.**

**ANBU: My suggestion… discarded like trash. **

**Demon: Calm down, ANBU. It's not like that at all.**

**Creeper: Bullshit!**

**(Creeper kicks Demon in the crotch, only for Demon to disappear in a puff of smoke)**

**Snypo: Dafuq?**

**ANBU: Demon had a Shadow Clone here? How the hell didn't I notice that?**

**(A monitor flickers on, revealing Demon)**

**Demon: Because I've been trained by other ANBU. Now, I'm not there with you right now because I know Creeper would try to kill me.**

**Creeper: Damn right!**

**Demon: As such, while you are in my new dorm room, I have hidden away in a safe zone for now. **

**Snypo: When are you coming back?**

**Demon: After everyone calms down, which will take some time due to 2 bombshells.**

**Falcon: I have a bad feeling about this.**

**Demon: First off, as much as I hate to say this, there will be no lemon.**

**ANBU: What?!**

**Demon: I don't want this story thrown away by the admins. **

**Creeper: Shit. What's next, this story's on hiatus like HTH?**

**Demon: Well, no. Actually, this will be the final chapter.**

**Creeper: They'll never find your body.**

**Demon: That is why I'm hiding away for now. Anyway, enjoy the final chapter of Love: Smells Like Vanilla.**

Chapter 15: A New Family

A few days passed quietly since the confrontation in the forest. Luckily, Cream had already gotten over Chris' previous suicide attempt, and Chris and Vanilla had kept quiet to the younger rabbit about the 'hidden' parts of the journal. Everyone was keeping up with their routine. As it was a weekend, Chris was off at the dojo, teaching the fresh new hopefuls the art of karate. Vanilla looked out the window, seeing her daughter hopping around in the yard. Cream had begun learning to hop from tree to tree to increase speed and movement precision, although her tail was a little sore at the moment.

Vanilla chuckled as she finished washing the dishes in the sink. _'It's good to see everyone back to normal. And, with Chris knowing about the journal, the stress level here has considerably dropped.'_ She thought happily as she sat at the table. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a yellow slip of paper, examining it before checking the clock on the wall. _'I hope my order gets here soon.'_ No sooner had she thought it, the door knocked thrice. The older rabbit walked over and opened the door. A blue jay was standing there, a medium size box in his hand. "I have an order for a Ms. Vanilla." He said softly, glad the heavy box was finally delivered. The older rabbit smiled, showing the paper.

(LSLV)

Cream was jumping from tree to tree, not noticing the bird walk to the house. Not that it mattered, anyway. She was enjoying herself too much to care. Her final jump was to a tree fifteen feet away. Thanks to her natural hopping ability, she barely managed to land the far jump. "Yes!" Cream cheered, excited she accomplished the feat. As she prepared to hop to the ground, she heard the faint whirring of an engine. Looking up, she noticed a plane flying overhead. The young rabbit instantly recognized the plane, and by extension, the pilot.

As the plane landed, Cream ran over excitedly to see the fox. Tails popped the dome, climbing out of the X-tornado. "What's up, Tails?" The two-tailed fox smiled as he hopped to the ground. "The sky is up. I'm doing fine, if that's what you mean." Tails said, enjoying the occasional snark. Cream rolled her eyes at his response before continuing. "So, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you in a while!"

Tails smirked. "Well, that's one of the reasons. I haven't seen you in about two weeks. How are your mother and Chris doing?" He asked, looking around. Cream pointed to the house quickly. "Well, mom was cleaning dishes when I came outside, and Chris left for the dojo in town, since he works there." Tails nodded. "Espio told me about that a couple days ago. I heard you judo tossed Scott's ass through his office." The two shared a laugh at her past attack. Tails blushed slightly and looked back at Cream. "Actually, there's another reason I came by…"

(LSLV)

Chris was currently showing a kata to a group of 2nd level purple belt students. On the mat next to them, Espio was showing a group of white belts the beginner stances and moves. "You know, Chris. I find it funny that the new worker is training the higher level students, while the seasoned vet is training the starters." The chameleon said, throwing a basic punch out for the students to copy. Chris smirked as he spun a kick. "Well, I'm a second level black belt, and have been for about a year. You've only had it for two months." The human replied cockily. Eventually, the two senseis stood back as they watched their students pair off to practice.

Espio took the time to spark a conversation. "So, how's it been living with the Rabbits?" Chris took a breath and looked to his friend/confidant. "It's alright. I honestly hope they don't consider me a burden. One of the main reasons I applied for this job was to try to pay them back for their hospitality. But, you know Vanilla. She won't flat out say "no", but she'll express it." The chameleon nodded. "You should have seen how difficult it was getting Vector to leave her alone at first. Vanilla is just too kind to be blunt, regardless of the situation." Chris and Espio nodded in unison, watching their pupils continue the katas.

(LSLV)

Chris walked into the house that evening, tired but happy. "That was fun. Although, I think my weights are too light again. I may have to add more." He mumbled, stretching his limbs. "Really, Chris? Even with 80 pounds of weight, you're going to add more?" The human froze, hearing the female voice. Looking over, he saw Vanilla standing in the doorway to the kitchen, clearly amused. The human shrugged, relieved. "Why not? I need to up my training anyway."

Vanilla smiled and nodded as Cream walked down the steps. The younger rabbit giddily watched as her 'brother' took in her appearance. Cream was wearing a black strapless dress that went down to her knees. A pair of long black gloves went halfway up her arms, where a silver band met the edge of each. Her feet were clothed in black stockings and black stiletto heels. A black and white bow, tied to her left ear, finished her outfit.

Chris smiled as he nodded. "What's this about?" He asked, already having a guess. Cream slightly blushed at her 'brother's question. "Well, Tails came by and visited earlier today and asked if I wanted to go out with him today. Since I hadn't seen him in a while, I accepted." The young rabbit quietly explained, her blush growing. Chris nodded and patted her shoulder. "Good to know I was right. Remember to have fun." Cream nodded and headed for the door.

"One more thing." Cream looked back at the human, who suddenly wore a solemn expression. "Tell Tails that if he hurts you in any way, I'll personally kick his ass." Cream was stunned for a moment, until she saw his smirk. She smirked back. As she left, she spoke. "No problem. I told him I'd kick his ass. When he didn't believe me, I punched a nice dent into his plane." Chris fell over laughing at the strong rabbit as she exited the house, heading into town.

After a moment, the human relaxed, looking back to the older rabbit. "So, I take it you trust Tails?" Vanilla smirked as well, turning back into the kitchen. "Of course. He's not the one teaching my baby to castrate a person using her bare hands." Chris mentally grabbed his groin at the word 'castrate' and followed the older rabbit. Vanilla was sitting at the table, the box from earlier next to her.

Chris took a seat across from her, knowing what was bound to come up soon. Vanilla smiled and pushed the box closer to the human. Chris responded with a puzzled look. "What's this?" The rabbit smiled and slid the box to him. "Open it up and you'll see." The human complied, opening the top of the box. Looking inside, he gasped in shock.

Vanilla grinned. "I thought you'd like them. I ordered them a few days ago, knowing you could use them." Chris was flabbergasted as he reached into the box, removing one of its contents. As the human slid his right hand over the smooth cover and spine of the book, he was amazed. "I thought these were impossible to get in Mobius!" The human said, surprised as he held a carbon copy of his journal, except with VIII on the spine, instead of VII.

Vanilla chuckled a little before continuing. "Well, it's true that these weren't available in any bookstore. Rather, I had to order them from a manufacturer directly. I sent them a picture of the book, and they were able to recreate them. I hope you enjoy them."

Chris placed the book down, noticing the C.T. embedded in the spine, just like his first journal. Looking into the box, he saw the books all had a numeral printed on them. He saw the final book and read its number. XX. Tears beginning in his eyes, the human placed the book back into the box, closing it afterward. Chris got up from the table, walked over to Vanilla, and wrapped her in a hug. "Thank you. This means more to me than you know." Vanilla teared up a little as well, returning the warm hug. "I know you can't retrieve your old memories and entries, but I thought this would do nicely." Chris squeezed tight at the mother's words. "True, I cannot reclaim those entries that were lost, but I can always make new memories."

(LSLV)

Having placed the books in a safe location, Chris and Vanilla now sat in her bedroom, preparing to settle a matter that had affected them for too long. "Okay, Chris. It's time to handle what I read in your journal, and left out during the reading." The older rabbit explained solemnly. Chris nodded, hoping things went well. "Alright. Let's begin." Vanilla nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay. I want you to tell me what you think of me. Don't avoid it or sugar coat it. Just tell me the truth."

Chris took a moment to relax before he answered. "Vanilla, at first I saw you as a kind motherly figure, one that would take care of anyone in their time of need and protect those close to you. Once I lost my home and you offered to let me stay with you and Cream, that just cemented it in my mind. You took me in, regardless of what I had to offer in return.

"However, after you confronted me on the tree branch that night, my feelings began to change. I saw more in you than a kind mother. I saw a woman that would go out of her way to improve someone's life. I saw the heart of gold you have. Seeing that just made the feeling of love begin." Vanilla watched on, impressed by the wordsmith in front of her.

"With the attitude you had with my training, it was hard to tell whether it was my love or my respect for you as a mother that grew. I finally realized that both had, but the love I felt grew more and more. You had helped me so much over this time, and I haven't paid you back at all. I'm hoping I can find a way for these feelings to help me pay you and Cream back for all you have done."

Vanilla listened intently as Chris finished his explanation. She took a moment before beginning. "First things first, Chris. You are not being a freeloader in any way. You think you haven't paid us back in any way, yet you have in more ways than you can imagine." Chris was surprised, but he continued listening. "You've kept me company this whole time, making me happy to not be alone when Cream would go somewhere. You help around the house as often as you can. You've even taken a job to give us time away from you, in case we were burdened. You looked out for us and helped us more than you know."

Vanilla smiled as she looked a picture of Cream on her wall. "But, the most helpful thing you've done for me isn't really for me. You've returned. In doing so, Cream has become more joyful and playful than she has been since you left. Her bright smile and joyous outlook has returned from the moment Cream saw you leave the closet in Knuckles' place. That alone is payment enough for me."

Chris nodded in understanding, shocked mute from the rabbit's words. Vanilla took another breath and continued. "You also have awoken a feeling in me I haven't felt in years. Cream's father had left us soon after she was born. Not only had Cream been upset that she didn't have a father, but I never was able to feel love again, outside of motherly love. When she was younger, and we visited Earth and met you, she lit up brighter than I had ever seen her. She was so happy to have a brother that her joy was infectious. After you left for good, she was deeply hurt, thinking you had abandoned everyone.

"Surprisingly enough, Eggman himself told us about why you left so abruptly. While he was an evil bastard, what he said gave us comfort. Now that you're back for good, this means Cream will be happy for life.

"You make me happy by making her happy. In turn, I have developed feelings that have been lost for so many years." Vanilla finished, happy to finally get it all out in the open. Chris was happy, yet sad at the same time. "So, we love each other. That's good to know. However, I do know about the different social structures here. Sonic had told me how interspecies marriage here was a very difficult thing to get approved." Chris said, looking down.

Vanilla looked for a moment before smiling. "Well, it's not that bad." Chris looked up slightly, motioning for her to continue. "Well, Cream had said that she wouldn't marry the person she loves if they weren't a rabbit. Instead, she'd just live with them instead. Then, they'd be together and there would be nothing anyone could do about it. I believe the term is common-law marriage." The older rabbit finished.

Chris thought for a moment before the realization hit him. "You mean, you'd accept that, even if it wasn't acknowledged by Mobius?" Chris saw Vanilla nod, making him relieved and happy. As suddenly as his happiness appeared, it faded. "But, what about Cream? I doubt she'd enjoy her 'brother' unofficially marrying her mother." Vanilla sighed a bit. _'This boy just keeps making excuses, doesn't he?' _She thought to herself. "Simple. We don't tell her… yet. We'll let her know when the time is right." She explained to the worried human.

Chris thought a few more moments before realizing everything was practically taken care of. _'Even if something would come up, I'm sure we'll find a way to handle it._' He thought as he smiled. Vanilla smiled at his relief. "Chris?" The human looked at the rabbit again, focused completely. Vanilla blushed before looking at the door. "How about we… close the door, and … consummate this 'marriage'?" A moment ticked by while the question rang in the human's head. As soon as the information processed itself, Chris found himself holding the older rabbit, the door quickly locked only a second before.

Well into the night, the couple sealed their 'marriage', effectively agreeing to keep their love hidden until the time was right. They knew Cream had a right to know, and would tell her soon, after she returned from her date with Tails. As Chris drifted to sleep, his nose picked up a faint odor. Recognizing it, he drifted off, one last thought on his mind. _'Love. It smells… like Vanilla, and I couldn't be happier about that.'_

**Demon: And, the story is finished!**

**Creeper: I really want to kill you.**

**Demon: Once again, hence my hiding spot.**

**Snypo: At least the story made it to the point it was meant to.**

**ANBU: Yeah, but no lemon? Why?**

**Falcon: I have to agree.**

**Demon: Once again, I don't need the admins blocking my ass here. **

**Creeper: I hope to God you have fun while you can asshole.**

**Demon: I'll try to. Alright, for the last time on LSLV, read and re…**

**(Creeper smashes the screen, cutting Demon's transmission off)**

**Creeper: Yeah! Nothing beats good ol' destruction!**

**Snypo: Anyways, read and review!**

**ANBU: No flaming any of us! I'll use an exploding tag on yo ass!**

**Falcon: Violent idiots.**

**(Back at Demon's hideaway)**

**Demon: Damn it, Creeper!**

**~DemonFiccer~**


End file.
